SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Newark Civic Center — a 73,240-square-foot design-build project delivered by Webcor and its design-build partner Perkins&Will — has officially reached full completion.

“The Newark Civic Center project has been a big success,” said Ray Collier, City Architect for the City of Newark. “From the beginning of design work to the completion of construction, the design-build team of Webcor and Perkins&Will has done an excellent job and produced a facility that the community can be proud of.”

The project’s design-build team built three new buildings, a new public plaza featuring terrace seating, and a new parking lot. The new City Hall is modern and includes a new Council Chambers. The new library is roughly 10,000 square feet larger than its predecessor and offers a teen lounge and children’s storytime room, in addition to a large meeting space and a curiosity shop. The new police building consolidates all station operations in a single facility and includes an emergency dispatch center and property and evidence facility.

“The new civic center provides the Newark community a modern space to congregate for special events and interact with one another,” said Webcor Field Specialist Juan Ramos. “It’s a space to share, learn, grow, and properly manage a thriving city.”

Newark Civic Center’s design-build delivery model aligned with Webcor’s collaboration-centric culture. Under the design-build delivery model, an owner or developer enters into a single contract for both design and construction. This model shifts the design risk onto the contractor, as opposed to the traditional delivery method, which holds the owner responsible for that risk.

“With risk comes opportunity, and when you foster great working relationships with the owner, trade partners, and designer, you have the ability to thrive in that environment,” said Webcor Project Director Daniel Chavarria. “Overall, this has been the most enjoyable project experience of my career. When you’re able to be part of a team that delivers a quality project while providing a positive experience for those involved, it truly is a win-win all around.”

Design-build’s growing popularity among government agencies bodes well for Webcor’s strategic growth opportunities, according to Webcor Vice President Tolga Acar.

“The design-build model is new to many municipalities,” Acar said. “The fact that it has worked seamlessly at the Newark Civic Center project will hopefully encourage more cities to utilize the same model for their civic projects. ... If the success of the project had to be credited to a single factor, it would be how well Webcor and Perkins&Will functioned together as one powerful team. Under our design-build partnership, Webcor and Perkins&Will found the rhythm to play their respective roles to perfection.”