CC SR 20230418 04 - Bubbles
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 04/18/2023
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to receive a status update on the potential
refurbishment and installation of the Marineland Bubbles statue.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a status update on efforts to potentially refurbish and install
the Bubbles statue for display at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC);
and
(2) If desired, direct staff to proceed with issuing a new request for proposals (RFP)
for design services for the Marineland Bubbles statue and to include an
estimated design cost of $75,000 in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget.
FISCAL IMPACT: If directed, $75,000 will be included in the FY 2023-24 Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) for the City Council’s consideration as
part of the budget adoption in June.
Amount Budgeted: None
Additional Appropriation: None
Account Number(s): None
ORIGINATED BY: Matt Waters, Senior Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Cory Linder, Recreation and Parks Director
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. August 3, 2021 City Council Staff Report
B. 2022 Capital Improvement Program Excerpt (Page B-1)
BACKGROUND:
Bubbles was a famous performing pilot whale who captivated audiences first at
Marineland for 20 years and then at SeaWorld San Diego for an additional 30 years, until
her death in June 2016.
The Bubbles statue once stood at the entrance to Marineland and is approximately 26
feet tall from tail to nose. It is made of fiberglass material with a metal inner -structural
skeleton for support. There is significant affection and nostalgia for Marineland and its
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CITY OF ANCHO PALOS VERDES
pioneering work with marine mammals, including Bubbles. Bubbles has been stored by
the City since the aquatic waterpark closed in 1987. Efforts to potentially refurbish and
install Bubbles for permanent display were first brought to the Council in 2014. Mayor
Ferraro recently requested that a status update of Bubbles be brought back for City
Council consideration.
Tonight, Staff will provide a history of efforts to refurbish Bubbles, a status update, and
seek direction on whether to reissue an RFP for design services.
DISCUSSION:
In 2014, City resident Robert Craig approached the City’s Lower Point Vicente Focus
Group to see if the Bubbles statue could be included in its proposed Lower Point Vicente
Park plan. The Focus Group opted to not include Bubbles in its recommended plan that
was eventually adopted by the City Council on July 7, 2015. On July 19, 2016, the City
Council considered a Study Session item submitted by then -Councilmember Susan
Brooks regarding the future of Bubbles. On November 15, 2016, the City Council directed
Staff to work toward finding an appropriate location for the Bubbles statue at the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC) with input from interested parties.
On December 12, 2016, Susan Brooks, Recreation and Parks Director Cory Linder,
Robert Craig, and Doug Grant, a local resident who had expressed interest in Bubbles,
toured Lower Point Vicente to look at location alternatives and designs. After considering
six locations (see map above), the group recommended Location 3, which is located to
the north of the PVIC building just before the main parking lot. This location was selected
for the following reasons:
• Suited for horizontal layout (recommended over vertical layout due to visual
impacts and stability resulting from the 26’ plus height)
• Could serve as the entry marquee for PVIC
• Would act as a buffer and screening wall for nearby back-up generator
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• Currently unused space
• Would commemorate Bubbles by being accessible to the general public
The City Council approved this location on March 7, 2017, and directed Staff to hire a
professional consultant to design the entry marquee and explore funding options.
Staff subsequently issued two RFPs for design and construction in 2018. Linespace, a
Los Angeles-based firm, submitted the only proposal which contained two conceptual
design approaches: one with a $225,000-$285,000 estimated construction/design
budget, and the other with a $150,000 to $180,000 estimated construction/design budget.
These estimates were approximate in 2018 but were never presented or approved by the
City Council.
These conceptual estimates did not include costs for restoring the Bubbles statue, which
has experienced significant damage to its fiberglass body, or for transporting Bubbles to
a repair location/workshop and then to PVIC. A restoration company in 2016 estimated
that restoring Bubbles would cost approximately $20,000, which included sandblasting,
bodywork, painting, and polish.
A group of residents and Bubbles supporters, including Jon Sansom, Carolynn Petru,
Doug Grant, Paul Funk, and Ray Stone, then met with Staff several times in 2018 and
2019 to discuss reviving efforts to refurbish Bubbles and identify funding opportunities.
On August 3, 2021, the City Council considered the possible refurbishment and
installation of Bubbles at PVIC and approved the following motion: (Attachment A):
(1) Affirmed the 2017 Council-approved installation of the Marineland Bubbles
statue as an entry marquee to be located to the north of the PVIC building just
before the main parking lot;
(2) Directed Staff to reissue an RFP from professional consultants to design the
entry marquee that integrates the Marineland Bubbles statue at PVIC;
(3) Directed Staff to work with Jon Sansom, Suzanne Seymour, and other
interested parties to explore a future capital campaign and potential in -kind
services; and
(4) Directed Staff to research and solicit current restoration and moving cost
estimates.
In response to the City Council’s adopted motion, Staff issued an RFP on August 31,
2021 for design services for the Marineland Bubbles Statue Entry Marquee. Four
companies submitted proposals (UPLA, Linespace, Lewis Schoeplein, and NUVIS).
Following an initial review, UPLA, Linespace, and NUVIS advanced to the next stage
where they were interviewed by Staff, Los Serenos de Point Vicente Docent President
Paul Funk, and Jon Sansom. Nuvis was selected as the desired candidate. Staff met
several times with Nuvis to negotiate its fee and refine the project scope.
At that time, the Bubbles project was part of the 2022 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
which was considered by the City Council on April 13, 2022 as part of the FY 2022-23
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budget process. The total project cost was estimated at $565,000 which consisted of the
following:
• Engineering: $40,000
• Management: $20,000
• Construction: $355,000
• Contingency: $110,000
• Inspection: $40,000
The estimated project cost did not include design and restoration costs. Due to competing
and prioritizing CIP projects, Bubbles was not included in the FY 2022-23 budget and
subsequently, negotiations with Nuvis were halted before contractual terms were agreed
upon.
If the City Council wishes, Staff would update and re-issue an RFP for design services
for the Marineland Bubbles proposal. Staff would review and rate responses, interview
the highest rated candidates, negotiate project scope and fees with the selected firm, and
bring a draft agreement back to the City Council for its review at a future meeting. While
the final design cost is not known, Staff is recommending that $75,000 be added to the
FY 2023-24 budget for design services if the City Council desires to issue an RFP.
Donation and Fundraising Information
In January 2023, a longtime RPV resident approached the City and pledged $40,000 in
support of the Bubbles project. The donation is contingent on the entire project being
approved by the City Council and fully funded. The donor prefers to remain anonymous.
Following Council’s 2021 recommendation, Jon Sansom has created a nonprofit called
“Bubbles: Preserve our Whale” that has been actively fundraising and has raised
approximately $7,000.
Based on the 2022 CIP estimate, over $500,000 of additional funding, beyond what has
been pledged to date, is needed for engineering and construction in addition to design
and refurbishment costs which are still to be determined. The 2022 CIP figures are a year
old and would need to be recalculated to take escalation into account.
CONCLUSION
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on whether to proceed with the Bubbles
project, particularly the re-issuance of an RFP for design services.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
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1. Take no action at this time and continue to store the Bubbles statue at the Ken
Dyda Civic Center.
2. Take other action, as deemed appropriate.
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CITVc t�CHOPAlJJSVERoES
Capital Improvement Program (Fiscal Years 2022-2023 through 2026-27)
This project is intended to restore the "Bubbles" statue and consists of:
-Restoring the "Bubbles" statue
-Installing the restored statue at a location to be determined in Lower
Point Vicente Park
Project Cost Estimates
Expenses/Commitments to date FY22/23 FY23/24 FY24/25 FY25/26 FY26/27 Totals
Planning $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Engineering $0 $40,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $40,000
Environmental $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Management $0 $20,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $20,000
Construction $0 $355,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $355,000
Contingency $0 $110,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $110,000
Inspection $0 $40,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $40,000
$0 $565,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $565,000
$0 I $565,000 $0 $0 . $0 $0 $565,000
Estimated annual operating cost I To Be Determined
Estimated Schedule:
Engineering and Construction in Fiscal Year 2022-23
Project Location Map
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Background and Justification:
In 2014, the public requested that the statue be incorporated into a park
plan for Lower Point Vicente. Although not included at that time, in
November 2016, City Council directed staff to find an appropriate location
at PVIC and in March 2017 staff presented information on the location to
City Council.
There is significant affection and nostalgia for Marineland and its
pioneering work with marine mammals, including Bubbles. Bubbles was a
performing pilot whale at Marineland for 20 years, until it closed in 1987,
and then at Sea World until her death in June 2016. Restoration of this
statue and placement at a public park could bring visitors to the City and
an increase in commerce.
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