A contract to construct the stations, track and operating systems for the Central Subway was advertised. The estimated $720 to $750 million contract includes construction of three subway stations, one surface-level station, train tracks and other components of the T Third Line extension through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

The contract includes work that was previously divided into four separate construction contracts. Combining the contracts will allow the Central Subway Program to save time and money by eliminating constraints involved in coordinating and integrating four separate construction packages. It will also provide for a stronger and more consistent program to provide opportunities for small businesses and local residents seeking jobs.

“By providing much-needed job training for out-of-work San Franciscans and incorporating strong Small Business Enterprise participation goals, the Central Subway will benefit our community long before it is in service,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “As we build this crucial addition to our public transit system, this major contract will contribute greatly to our local economy.”

Combining the contracts has no impact on the Central Subway’s $1.6 billion budget. Bids for the contract are due January 23, 2013.

The contract includes several provisions to encourage local hiring and provide opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged San Franciscans. It incorporates a robust Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal of 20 percent. In addition, the winning contractor will be required to set aside 50 percent of the trucking and hauling work for certified SBE firms.

The contract also includes $1.5 million to hire socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for entry-level jobs, such as general clean-up and pedestrian safety monitoring. In addition, the winning contractor will establish a Construction Management Trainee Program and to provide socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with at least 40,000 hours of on-the-job training for construction management positions. The contractor will work with the SFMTA Contract Compliance Office and community-based organizations to identify applicants for these jobs from the neighborhoods along the Central Subway alignment and elsewhere in San Francisco.

Construction of the following elements of the Central Subway is included in the contract:

  The Chinatown Station, a subway station with an entrance at Stockton and Washington streets;
  The Union Square/Market Street Station, a subway station with entrances at Stockton and Geary streets and Stockton and Ellis streets;
  A concourse connecting the Union Square/Market Street Station to the existing Powell Street Muni/BART Station;
  The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station, a subway station with an entrance at 4th and Clementina streets;
  The 4th and Brannan Station, a surface-level station on 4th Street between Brannan and Bryant streets;
  Surface tracks on 4th Street between 4th and King streets and the subway tunnel portal on 4th Street between Bryant and Harrison streets;
  Trackbed, tracks, switches and train control systems within the Central Subway tunnel.

A pre-bid conference for the contract is scheduled for November 27. A meet-and-greet for prospective prime contractors and SBE firms will be held by the end of the year.