MCA Campus Expansion Project Update

With our 3 months anniversary, we at the MCA Board of Trustees (BoT) would like to provide you with a brief status and a glimpse of what to expect in relation to the MCA Campus Expansion Project.

The MCA Expansion Project was initiated as a result of months of assessment and community survey which identified the most pressing priorities for our community. In 2016 the MCA purchased MCA 3.0. Looking back, this project was planned for full operation by the end of 2021 with expectation of getting full permits in 2019. Unfortunately, the project timeline continues to slide and though much effort was put in the permitting process, there are no significant accomplishments towards the goals and objectives of the project. Based on the schedule published in July 2021, the completion date was predicted to be at the End of 2024. Unfortunately, since then if we maintain the same approach, we believe that the best case for this project to be complete is the end of 2025, which is, in our opinion, unacceptable.

To address this, the BoT started by ensuring that this project was our top priority and vowed to put an end to the constant schedule slips. We understand that the only way to deliver this project is through a new approach, setting aggressive goals and flawless execution.  The following provides more details on our approach.

The MCA Campus Expansion Project involves:

• MCA 3.0 Building Renovation.
• MCA 1.0 Parking Lot Restructuring to merge with MCA 3.0 Parking lot, and
• MCA 1.0 Playground renovation.

This project provides the following additional services:

As we embark on this project, we have declared the following values as our guiding principles to ensure success of this project:

These guiding principles will become evident as the project progresses.

Additionally, we would like to clarify the process we will be following in awarding contracts for the project. The following are the main criteria we are implementing for that purpose:

• Each task will have a clear Request for Bid/Proposal with clearly identified scope and expectations.
• We will solicit at least 3 different bids for each Request for Bid/Proposal.
• These bids will be reviewed by appropriate subcommittees that have subject matter expertise to select the best value option for the MCA.
• In addition to the inspection required by the City of Santa Clara, we will have our own inspection of work during and after the task completes.
• All invoices and expenditures will be reviewed and approved by independent people to ensure accuracy and accountability towards work orders.
• Final Payments will only be authorized upon full inspection and acceptance of the deliverables.

 At this time, the BoT has not signed any new contracts with anyone. However, we anticipate some smaller contracts to be signed in the near future to support permit activity, architectural, and design work.

To ensure that this project is revived as quickly as possible we started by establishing the Renovation Committee under the leadership of Br. Naeem Raza. Br. Naeem Raza is the most qualified from our community to lead this project due to his proven track record in such endeavors.

In addition to the Renovation Committee, we are looking to establish the following committees within the next few weeks:

• Financial Development committee
• Communications committee
• Public Relations committee which will help our community work effectively with the staff and elected officials of the City of Santa Clara.

At this time, we are seeking your Duaa and patience as you see this project get off the ground. Please note that this is a complex project with many stakeholders and technical issues. Additionally, working with the City of Santa Clara has always been difficult but the COVID crises made it extremely challenging. Our goal is to keep you up to date with major development and ensure that all your feedback and input is taken into consideration. At this time much of the work for the project is below the surface such as:

• expediting our permits with the City of Santa Clara,
• establishing key subcommittees, and
• creating comprehensive plans for project execution.

Soon we will be creating key focus groups and creating wide communication meetings to provide updates and gather feedback. Meanwhile, we are counting on your Duaa and support.

If you have any feedback, questions or are interested in being part of this project, please contact the BoT at bot@mcabayarea.com.