Facilities Stories

[Elena Comrie, the project construction manager (second left), presents to a site tour group as senior project engineer Christina Stone (far right) stands by to assist.]

As a part of the current Measure Y bond, the Facilities Planning and Management Department is constructing the new Central Administrative Center at Cole. The new two-story, 56,176 sf building will be the future home of OUSD Central Office and Administration staff. The full project will consist of the construction of the new building and several site improvements, including landscaping, fence installations, parking lots, and driveways on the 2.6-acre site. 

Recently, the project's Construction Manager, Elena Comrie, and the Senior Project Engineer, Christina Stone, participated in an interview on their roles and thoughts on the project. View the interview below.

Cole Project Spotlight Interview

What is your role on the Cole Central Administrative Center project?

Elena Comrie, Construction Manager
Christina Stone, Senior Project Engineer

What do you enjoy most about working on the Cole Central Administrative Center project?

Elena: Some of the most enjoyable aspects of working on CAC @ Cole include the ‘wins’ or successes that our team experiences when we are able to face an obstacle, whether it’s unforeseen utilities in the street or a slow to respond Public Agency and get the results that benefit the project. During this project, we have devised and collaborated on inventive ways to get the desired outcome all the while keeping focus on the end goal of a successful project that benefits OUSD.

Christina: I really enjoy the excitement of being on an active construction project. There’s always activity on the site, and progress is visible from day to day. Through my work, I come into contact with people in so many trades, and there is so much for me to learn. 

Are there any special connections you have to this project other than working on it?

Elena: I connect on a very intense level with all of the projects that I manage. The same is true for this project. I met with neighbors and they shared with me the historical importance and the gatherings that took place on this site many decades ago. Their stories included Teachers who baked cookies onsite and hosted students and parents at the school. The north façade of the existing building also has a mural that shows the real cultural reverence and relevance of this site. Once completed, this project will safely host the Server & OUSD staff inside the building, and the site will safely host OUSD’s students at the basketball court.

Christina: I love the history of this site. It’s been with OUSD since the late 1800s, and it has served the District through all of those years and will continue to do so. I’m honored to be a part of this work for OUSD and feel that I'm contributing to OUSD’s continuing history. 

How do you think students and teachers will respond to the modernization work that’s being
done?

Elena: I think that OUSD’s students will enjoy the upgraded basketball court that is being constructed to
replace the previous basketball court. Also, the entire student body as a whole and all staff members
are likely to appreciate and will benefit from an improved Server location that will have better HVAC
systems and be a more reliable location for Internet Service.

Christina: I hope that students, teachers, and staff can use this site to connect with each other and collaborate. With so many types of spaces on this site, I hope that people can gather and learn from and about each other. 

What do you most enjoy about the work you do?

Elena: I enjoy safeguarding OUSD’s projects and Oakland Taxpayers' best interest. As an Oakland resident and homeowner and someone who supports OUSD’s Bonds (including Measure Y), I enjoy ensuring that we are all getting the best value for our tax dollars. I enjoy working towards a project that, once it’s complete, will be a safe, efficient building that will serve OUSD’s staff needs with efficacy and improve the neighborhood’s outlook and immediate surroundings. It will also be a local example of the respect that we all have for OUSD, the citizens of Oakland, and the built environment.

Christina: I enjoy the care and detail that goes into construction. Designing and building is a form of art, where teams of people work together to create this building and facility for people that we care about. I appreciate that by helping to coordinate with the OUSD departments and the trades, we are able to create a place that will bring together the people who make OUSD's work possible. 

From the Office of the Superintendent

Dear Oakland Unified Community,

We write to you today to share an update on the implementation of Measure Y, the $735 million bond measure passed by Oakland voters overwhelmingly in 2020. The Measure allows the District to fund much-needed improvements to numerous school campuses and make a significant dent in OUSD's $3.4 billion in facilities needs identified in the 2020 Facilities Master Plan. The improvements include important upgrades and strategic investments in student safety, technology, playgrounds, and solar power installations. The biggest ticket items are major school campus improvements. Collectively, they will provide generations of Oakland students outstanding learning environments. 

While there have been a number of notable successes under Measure Y such as the new Castlemont High School athletic field, the Claremont Middle School multi-purpose room, and the District’s Central Office, we have recently faced some challenges. As we have all experienced in one way or another, inflation has played a major role in our world since the pandemic began, and the cost of construction has not been immune to the impacts of inflation. While Measure Y did assume some inflation, the spike over the past three years was unexpected. As a result, projected and actual costs have increased by more than $100 million. With a fixed bond amount of $735M, this means we cannot afford to do all of the projects to the same extent that were planned when Measure Y was put before the voters. Just like many families have had to make hard decisions because of inflation, the District has to make hard decisions, as well.

Therefore, the Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee, unanimously voted in the spring to reconfigure the District's spending plan to prioritize major school projects. This means that many of those projects are still in the revised plan and moving forward (see below). However, one major project has already had to be reduced. That school community has been informed of the changes. For more details, please see the revised spending plan.

What’s more is that the impacts of inflation continue, and we expect them to cost us an even greater portion of the bond dollars. That means future projects could see additional reductions to keep them within budget, and others could be delayed outright.

Major Projects Continuing to Move Forward

Roosevelt Middle School $91.55M - In Design Phase

Modernize the existing Roosevelt Middle School campus with focus on environmental remediation, site improvements, seismic improvements, right-sizing of classrooms, mechanical and electrical improvements, etc.

McClymonds High School $91.25M - In Design Phase

The proposed modernization of McClymonds consists of a complete plumbing system and fixtures replacement, and upgrades to the HVAC and electrical systems. Also, there will be an improved campus layout, and upgrades to classrooms, labs and administrative spaces through new finishes, furniture and equipment in the main building and gym. McClymonds will also see outdoor space and athletic facility improvements such as new stadium bleachers, scoreboard, and other site work.

Coliseum College Preparatory Academy $55M - In Planning Phase

The expansion of CCPA will create the space needed to meet the projected growth in enrollment and ensure the campus better aligns to the 6-12 grade configuration.

Melrose Leadership Academy at Maxwell Park $36.5M - In Planning Phase

The modernization of Melrose Leadership Academy at Maxwell Park consists of seismic and accessibility upgrades, HVAC and electrical upgrades, portable replacements, and educational adequacy for the grades served on campus.

Garfield Elementary School $56.7M - In Feasibility Study Phase

The feasibility study will focus on modernizing classrooms and instructional spaces, improving student and staff safety, and addressing the underlying building systems needs.

OUSD will continue navigating the challenges of inflation while prioritizing student growth and academic success, ensuring that all students are in safe, welcoming, and nurturing environments that enable them to get the most out of their education. We are committed to being good stewards of public funds as we implement Measure Y, guided by the needs of the schools and the desires of the voters of Oakland.

The OUSD Facilities Planning and Management Department is excited to partner once again with 360 Total Concept Consulting. As stated by 360 CEO Shonda Scott, “The 360 team is committed to bridging the gap between project and community to build a more equitable world – one community at a time.”

Established in 2006, 360 Total Concept Consulting is an African-American, woman-owned management consulting firm headquartered in the Oakland/Bay Area. It provides transit authorities, public agencies, infrastructure and real estate developers, and corporations with program management support in the areas of equity, communications, logistics, market research, community outreach and engagement, contract compliance, public relations, and management support services.

Per OUSD Board Policy - BP 7115 - the District upholds a 50 percent local business participation requirement for District projects of more than $45,000 and where there is the availability of small or local firms. The 360 team works with the OUSD Facilities Planning and Management Department as its local business compliance team. As the local business compliance team, it administers the local business program monitoring OUSD’s LBU rates on capital improvement projects through project completion. Additionally, 360 provides outreach support to small and local businesses and hosts matchmaking opportunities for prime and sub-firm collaboration, technical assistance opportunities, and partnerships with the OUSD Facilities team related to improving and developing the District's local business utilization. 

The OUSD 360 team consists of Shonda Scott, CEO; Shonnell Frost-Gibbs, Chief Operations Officer and LBU Compliance Project Manager; Ramasses Head, Vice President of Media Productions; Tiffany Knuckles, Community Relations Manager, and LBU Compliance Project Lead; and Blake Brown, Community Relations Liaison. 

OUSD Facilities looks forward to collaborating with the 360 team! To learn more about 360 Total Concept Consulting, visit www.360tcpr.com.

Athletics are an integral part of any high school experience, and Castlemont High School is ready for a new athletic experience with the completion of its state-of-the-art outdoor athletic facilities!

In the fall of 2022, as part of the measure bond program, the Castlemont High School project team started work on a new athletic facility for the school. The project consisted of replacing the outdoor athletic field, track, specialty athletic sports areas, and bleachers. Additionally, the existing restroom facilities are upgraded, and new single-occupancy accessible restroom facilities have been added to the new north and south plazas. This project includes 10 accessible parking spaces and an accessible walking path from the bus stop to the new athletic facilities. While not originally in the project scope, a new scoreboard for the stadium was added due to the team’s efficient project management. 

Families, students, staff, and the community entering the new stadium can expect the reconfigured space to allow for better traffic flow and separate bleachers for home fans and visiting fans. 

As a result of this project, Castlemont High School was able to add girls lacrosse to its sports program, add additional league track meets, and host the annual “Silver Bowl” for the OUSD football program. As the project team completes this project, it looks forward to holding a grand opening to welcome the school community this fall. 

Read below to hear directly from the project team about this exciting addition to the Castlemont facility!

To stay up to date on the Castlemont project visit its project page here!

On September 1st, the OUSD Facilities Department held the first groundbreaking ceremony for Measure Y funded projects at Laurel CDC.  The ceremony was attended by the mayor of Oakland, OUSD Board members, site and district staff, parents, and students who were all thrilled to celebrate this milestone. The scope for the Laurel project includes the demolition and replacement of the existing CDC structure, which will contain four preschool classrooms with the capacity to house 108 children. We are excited to see the project continue and progress.

[Pictured: Abdul Alawdi (left) and Mary Ledezma (right)]   

What is your role on the Laurel CDC project?                                     

Abdul Alawdi (Project Engineer): As a project engineer, my role on this project is to work with the construction manager on site to make certain all issues that may arise are solved in a timely manner and to oversee the project as a whole. My job is also to ensure proper communication is shared between project, office, and field personnel.            

Mary Ledezma (Construction Manager): I have a dual role as the project manager and construction manager. I manage the administrative and technical responsibilities and ensure that the approved budget, schedule, and quality are in sync.  I have eyes and purview on the whole project. As the District's on-the-ground representative and voice, I make sure all activities align with the District’s goals and objectives.

What do you enjoy most about working on the Laurel CDC project?

Abdul: Aside from working with a talented team, seeing the project go from a plan to reality and knowing the positive impact it will have on the community is definitely the part I enjoy most.

Mary: Being onsite in the construction trailer with boots on ground, seeing up close while the CDC goes up is rewarding.

Are there any special connections you have to this project other than working on it?

Abdul: I was born and raised in Oakland. My extended family and I have also attended public schools here and understand the support many students may need to succeed. Having family members who were previously students at this school definitely makes this project more special to me.            

Mary: I enjoy getting to know the construction workers, many of whom hail from Mexico where I was born. It’s all about the people, the workers, that contribute to the success of the project that is often overlooked.

How do you think students and teachers will respond to the modernization work that’s being done?

Abdul: From classroom and office improvements to outside playground upgrades, I believe teachers and students will appreciate the modernization work done at Laurel alike for generations to come.

Mary: School and community pride will come from seeing a modern facility with architectural appeal.  This spills into better physical indoor resources, which then creates better learning opportunities for preschoolers and the end-users.

How do the two of you work together on this project?

Abdul: Through collaboration and communication, we tackle problems and meet deadlines in a timely manner to ensure the project stays on course.            

Mary: The mountain of daily administrative tasks and procedures requires on-going communication to get all the work done. We respect each other for our various skill sets.

What do you most enjoy about the work you do?

Abdul: Seeing the project plan put into action and coming to life, and knowing the positive imprint it will leave on the community, are definitely the most enjoyable parts of the work I do. Knowing this will make an impact in the public sector on the daily lives of others and how our projects diversify the community and bring it together is another gratifying aspect of the work I do.

Mary: Every project is unique and can go into trouble mode quickly. I enjoy striking the right balance of leading and coaching to problem solve issues that pop-up daily to get the project back on track.

[Pictured: Deshonne Hall (left) and Chastity Henderson (right)]   

What is your role on the Claremont project?                                     

Deshonne Hall (Construction Manager): My role is to oversee the Design and Construction of the project from beginning to end, while also managing the project's time / delivery, cost, and quality.                 

Chastity Henderson (Project Engineer): I am involved in all aspects of the project, specifically document control, invoices, daily reports, progress photos, etc. and to support the Claremont team. 

What do you enjoy most about working on the Claremont project?

One of the greatest aspects of working on the Claremont project is that our work contributes to something that is meaningful to the school community.

Are there any special connections you have to this project other than working on it?

Coming from a large inner-city school district ourselves, we understand the desire for specific structures on campus and how important it is to have dedicated space that supports the wellbeing of students.

How do you think students and teachers will respond to the modernization work that’s being done?

We think that the teachers and students will be ecstatic about the new multi-purpose building and will enjoy the new space intended for multi-use.

How do the two of you work together on this project?

We work together to ensure all aspects of the project are covered by practicing the three C’s; Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration.

What do you most enjoy about the work you do?

Receiving the smiling faces and appreciation of the children of the districts that we serve.