The council on May 6 unanimously approved a contract for phase 1 (project design) of the Civic Center Housing Project. The project would return to the City Council at a future date to consider whether to move forward with manufacturing modular living units.
The cost for US-Offsite, of Redding, CA, to work on phase one of the project would be for $55,000, according to the staff report. Phase 1 would be project design. Once phase 1 is done, staff will come back to the council to recommend whether or not to continue to phase 2, according to the staff report. Staff recommended approval.
Comments
Mayor Anni Marshall asked if it was possible to have three-bedroom units.
“I think in this we’re talking about phases in this project, but we’re also talking about phases in our overall housing plan,” said City Manager David Maistros.
He said the city planned to build a 40-plus unit building, so the city could look at three bedroom units there.
“When you’re talking about the space for this particular project, it gets pretty tight,” Maistros said.
“When you’re making three bedrooms, you’re losing units,” Maistros said.
Councilmember Mary Schickling asked about how fire-safe would the building materials be.
“It was discussed in their presentation,” said Assistant City Manager Jocelyn Francis.
“Actually, roofing was not included in the RFP,” Francis said, referring to the requests for proposals for the project. “However, US-Offsite indicated they do have the capability to construct roofing materials.”
She said the contract would require the company to meet the requirements of state law.
“Have you also looked at the possibility of water reclamation for possible landscaping or something?” Schickling asked.
Maistros said the city was look at all of that. “We want to capture as much water as we can,” Maistros said.
Councilmember Michael Ponce made a motion to authorize to city manager to execute the agreement with US-Offsite.
Councilmember Lisa Lavelle said the other two bidders built steel modules versus lumber modules. Lavelle asked if, after the design phase, if they could look at both steel and lumber or did the city want to stick with lumber.
“We would stick with lumber if we go with US-Offsite,” Maistros said.
Background
According to the staff report by Assistant City Manager Jocelyn Francis, the council in December 2024 authorized requests for proposals to build the housing project, which would be build adjacent to City Hall.
“Phase 1 consists of design, engineering and planning services for modular housing units. Based upon the results of such work, Phase 2 would be for the manufacturing of the modular units,” Francis wrote.
The city received three proposals on March 3, 2025.
According to the Francis report, a penal of consultants and city staff recommended awarding the contract for the design phase of the project to US Offsite. The modular units would be made of lumber.
“US-Offsite presents itself as a turnkey, design-build provider specializing in modular construction,” Francis wrote.
“The proposal meets the City of Avalon’s objectives, outlining a detailed workflow with clear milestones and a 7-month production schedule that aligns with the REP’s timeline. The design-build approach, combined with a dedicated in-house workforce (which minimizes dependency on subcontractors for critical tasks), ensures both schedule reliability and adaptability to project-specific needs.
The firm also emphasizes community impact and workforce development, incorporating social initiatives that reinforce their commitment to local engagement,” Francis wrote.
“With US-Offsite proposing a turnkey approach that would include design, unit manufacturing, transport, construction, and completion of additional site work (roof, exterior stairs, siding, storage), City staff will also present recommendations on how to proceed with installation which is not included with this contract. Focusing on total estimated costs compared with expected rents, property management fees, and annual maintenance will ultimately determine the projects viability.
