as elephants. we have five of the species at the san francisco zoo. it's all for the same reason, for illegal trad of their horn. we want to bring the part of the rhino and can ouple it with theel vanity. elephant. to stop the killing. to highlight that day we have a great lecture coming to san francisco zoo. we have o'brien and inspector ann marie law enforcement at the federal and state level and they will come and tell you how this stop the trade of illegal animal products. they tell incredible stories. so if you've never heard how they do it, please come out to the san francisco zoo this sunday at

1:00 and hear these amazing people and hear what they do to help stop that trade. here we go. another exciting event coming up not this weekend but the following weekend. in celebration of our flamingos. we have three new flamingo chics, they are white. if you wear pink you get one $1 off admission. we haven't had flamingo chicks for a number of years. finally we have another traveling exhibit in october called nature connects. giant images made out of leggos. most are garden related. the intent is to emphasize gardens and the san francisco zoo is an amazing garden. if you haven't come and seen

the efforts to promote gardens and plants, how can you talk about wild without plants? this is the importance of plants on this planet. the most exciting thing that's happening next tuesday we have the official ground breaking of our new tropic building. it's going to take close to a year to build. hopefully it will be opening next summer, but many of those an mams -- animals that were hard to spell and pronounce are going into this tropical building. that ends my report and thank you for all you do. >> thank you very much. >> is there any public comment on this item? being none, public comment is closed. we are on item 8. palace of fine arts request for concept proposals.

>> good morning commissioners, mr. president, mr. general manager. i'm cassandra cost elo from the property management. i'm proud to bring you the draft of the proposal of fine arts. so just a bit of background. the palace is a long-term tenant. the longest is the theatre. i was here two 2 months ago to present the terms and conditions for lease agreement for the innovation hangar. both leases will expire in march of 2016. innovation hangar is in the space to hell help us celebrate the

event. so looking forward for a long-term tenant for the space, we are proposing a two phase bidding process. first is a question for concept proposal to provide a little bit of a lower barrier entry way. oftentimes we hear from prospective bidders that they are anxious to participate because they are in a higher level. it's to get the commission to consider and get the public to weigh on and this gives us a broad view of high level concepts. this is an invite only process and we'll have a selection panel to recommend the highest scoring

proposals from the request for concept proposals. they will be invited to participate in the long-term rfp. it will ask for a higher level detail plan and financial information and details about the proposed operation and management plan. as i presented before we have a really fantastic team of folks helping with this process. jan brooks from the foundation has been such an incredible partner and responsible for the $21 million renovation of the rotundum completed in 2011. they have been a great asset and they also funded some of the help from our partners, including mark italian from the architecture firm. this has been really helpful

in talking to potential bidders. it's part of the concept so folks can get an idea with the challenges and features of the building. we are also working with lynn said way of consulting and i'm talk more about that in a moment. we have some key terms as part of this opportunity. one is restoring the palace of fine arts and we want to make sure this is around for another hundred years. we need a viable tenant. there is an amount of infrastructure which is required which i will talk about. we want a tenant that the compliment the existing amenities in the surrounding area and enhance the park. we are looking for public access to the space and what will continually engage the public for a term. we are interested in a

central entry way concept. bernard may back, the architect of the building envisioned a connection between a lag oon and the rotundum. we are interested in proposals that include restoring and retaining and operating the palace fine arts theatre by the theatre group. we have two mandatory requirements, one that it must be a recreational purpose. that will be up to the commission to interpret. the commission in the past has interpreted restaurant uses, museum type uses and theatre use among many other interpretations. the new tenant must be able to finance the required structural improvements to the building.

those required improvements range from about $8-15 million the reason for the large discrepancy is there are some recommended improvements as part of the study. the billion -- building was seismically retrofitted. depend og on the use, they may want to put those infrastructure in, if you touch the wall, you trigger seismic code update. that's the reason why we have this large discrepancy in the number. the improvements that require electrical, mechanical, and plumbing and improvement as well. those are detailed in the report. so, i have some images here that sort of show the central entry way flow that i talked about.

this is may beck vision. this is a sketch done by ehcd. we would really love to keep that atrium open for public access if possible. this is a rendering that we asked acd to do for us to show the connectivity between the rotundum and palace which you will see in the skylights. this is an exciting opportunity and this doesn't include those investment nags i talked -- figures that i talked about. this is the space that was original skylights and other uses have put material over the skylights to control the lighting environment. this is a really interesting study to show that you can open portions of them to open up the building and control not only light but

also heat. >> so because we are talking about the balance of fine arts. this building is very unique and historic and very well loved by the public. it's an important piece of history to the city when you talk about the rebirth of san francisco after the earthquake. this is still a very tangible piece of that history. we want to really engage the public as much as possible. and in 2012 we had two public meetings to solicit information from the public to discuss what they want in this space. that information was implemented in this document and included in the criteria. we assembled a really incredible group of people to give us some input on

sdurd -- desired uses and the priority for the space. the feedback has also been incorporated to the concept proposals. we presented the terms and conditions to the public, late august, august 28th. so again, this advisory committee was really incredible wealth of information that they provided for us. before we engage them we provided them with the historic information about the building, historical uses and the conditions assessment report. we had a presentation for an ehdc and then went into discussion. i won't talk about every single advisory committee member but this slide gives a real idea of the kind of talent that we had on this committee, the broad representation that they each brought to the table, but we had

community groups, merchant groups, folks from sf travel and chamber and information from the supervisors as well as our commissioner low. the advisory committee offered some fairly high level categories of use that they would like to see in this space. a museum type use, educational use, sports facility possibly performing art space and exhibition space, a venue or merchant retail space as possible use. i talked about some desired outcomes that the committee wanted to see as part of this opportunity. they want to see that the building offers a portion of the building to be open to the public. includes strategies to parking and traffic. this is in the middle of a residential neighborhood. so parking and traffic impacts are

real to the area and the local neighborhoods. we definitely want to consider that. they want to contain a performing arts space and possibly utilize green building practices and making sure this is compatible with the adjacent outdoor space and reflecting cohesive use in the area with independence. i came from the preacid i don't presidio meeting this morning and talked about the high level architectural plans and how that pans out with the fine arts and what that space will look like in a decade and two 2 decades. it's family-friendly. we had the exploratoria there for the city. it was a tradition or a

desired quality of the space for a long-term tenant. celebrates the history of the building and the work of bernard may beck and options for food and dining. we also had a similar practice as i mentioned with the public. we received input from them as to the process. a lot of the uses is very similar to what the advisory committee suggests affordable community space, used targeted for children and families, museum for san francisco, museum for the wine industry, museum for the pipe organ, studio space for artist, general educational uses, possible living roof concepts and cultural uses and art faction and interpretation from the ppie.

we do propose a very robust marketing strategy as part of this opportunity. we want to make sure as many entities as possible get exposure to this. we don't want to only reach out to those that have interest in this opportunity but reaching out to the types of uses from the public and the advisory committee. we'll do the normal posting on our website, the city's contracting website and office of small business. we'll sent to commercial real estate company and also working with our press team on some good proactive hopefully national coverage so this is larger than just a san francisco issue. so today you are asked to consider the draft of the question for concept proposals and to authorize the general manager to issue their request for concept proposals. we are still finalizing some details from the attorney asking for

additional financial information and because we are asking for a large investment in this sight is -- site we are asking for an entity that has that final capability. we are actually going to post all of the opportunities that we receive on our website, all the responses, we are working with it folks for creating a venue for folks to comment. for folks who can't come to a public meeting, they can comment on our website. we will also once we have some responses for the request for concept proposals we'll come here to introduce them as informational item and come to you for our normal selection process when we have a recommendation and get the authorization and get a full blown proposal which i will probably present at the same time. once we have those responses for the

rfp we also anticipate posting thoechlts and -- those. i won't go through all the steps because they are steps that you are very familiar with. tht require approval by the board of supervisors and engaging in community level and to consider the lease. it will trigger the thresholds to go through the board of supervisors and preservationist and others. that concludes my presentation and happy to answer any questions about the process, thank you so much. >> thank you. is there any additional public comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. >> commissioner lowe? i do want to say, a request

for concept proposal, the staff did a great job of creating what was a culmination of two very detailed committee meetings, advisory committee meeting and captured all of those concepts and learning in a past project of this area, i want to make sure we reach out to those communities and neighborhood groups who have raised concerns on past park projects. >> absolutely commissioner, low. i have a pretty robust kind of community outreach list. i have kept them in the loop even with the interim tennants i have invited them to the community meetings and commission meetings and i have invited them to hear presentations similar to what i gave you today late last month. we'll continue to engage those groups with recommendations from supervisor ferrel's office. >> as long as we keep that

transparency going, that will be important in future selection of ultimate operator for the palace. >> i agree. >> seeing no other comments, cassandra let me congratulate you and the staff on the collateral material. i think it's a very first class for a very important process. i thank you for the extensive community outreach elements for this program. this is probably once in a lifetime opportunity inform that kind of investment to be given by a long term tenant. no other comments? yes? >> a note. we got the general thematic scope of kinds of vechlts. investments. is there a ballpark of what that potentially means? >> we actually have it

partitioned out between if you invest in the entire building or just the old exploratoria side. we want to make sure that it's a viable theatre option comes forward that they are able to come to this sight or partner with another organization. our requirement is that the building has the improvements that we are looking for. it's a low end of $8 million investment and goes up to about $15 million. those figures were based in 2012. i can imagine they have risen and do not include soft cost and other improvements. >> we can entertain a motion to authorize the general manager to proceed. >> so moved.

>> second. >> all in favor say, "aye". >> aye. >> thank you. >> we are on item 9. is is there any additional public comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. we are on item 10. commissioners matters. >> don't see any. >> item 10 is closed. item 11, agenda setting? none. item 12. communication. nothing. item 13, adjournment. >> so moved. >> second. all in favor say, "aye". >> aye. >> thanks for coming out. we are adjourned. [ meeting is adjourned ] >> >>

[music] paratransit is specialized transportation for seniors and people with disabilities who are unable to use the muni system. in san francisco, we're proud

that we've had a paratransit program since 1978 long before it was mandated by the americans with disabilities act in 1990. san francisco is a unique city and our paratransit program reflects this. we have a network of services, including sf access van service, paratransit taxi, including wheelchair accessible ramp taxi and group van which serves groups of individuals going to a single location like a senior center. [music] >> i'm elsa scott and i'm a retired federal employee and i'm a native of san francisco. i use paratransit because, i've been using it for about six years because six years ago i had to start dialysis treatments at cpmc. so i'm very dependent on paratransit three times a week,

coming and going.. my current driver is brian berquist.; he's just such a friendly, sort of a teddy bear kind of a guy. i don't know what it is about brian, but all of us old ladies want to feed brian. [music] >> hi, my name is fred lein. i'm most proud of driving a ramp taxi since the beginning of the program in 1994. [music] >> fred, you are the absolute best! thank you fred for providing transportation for me and opening up my social life, and taking care of medical appointments, taking care of my

mother [music] >> hi, my name is ann bailey and i've driven for luxor for almost five years now. i drove for desoto cab for 10 years prior to that. i drove in 1976 for the old, old yellow cab. this is frances mecchi and i've been driving her for about 11 or 12 years to her alzheimer's day program, which we call the memory club. every day when we drive through the presidio she'll say, "oh goody, you're taking me through the enchanted forest." [music]

>> my name amr a.mahmoud. i am like 49 years old. i have been driving cab more than 13 year in general. then i drove a ramp more than 3 years. this is my fourth now. i have been enjoying doing the job. i like every moment of it. >> thank you amr. [music} >> hi, my name is peter and i'm a paratransit driver for medsam, and this is north and south of market where i pick up my group and drop them off at home. >> thank you , peter! [singing]

you are my sunshine. very good driver. she says driver is very good. number 1. [music] larry mingo, mobility plus driver, san francisco paratransit. >> thank you, mingo. >> you're welcome. >> hi, mingo. >> thank you, mingo. >> thank you, mingo. thank you. [music] >> thank you, larry mingo. >> hey larry mingo, you are awesome. thanks for a great, great job you do for us. appreciate it. >> thank you, mingo.

[music] >> hello, my name is james fells i've been working with paratransit for 13 years now. i get a kick out of the job; i like helping people you know when they need help to go shopping or getting picked up at the medical building. i really like helping people and that's why i've been working so long. >> hi, my name is kalani. i'm a driver with mobility plus. i love my job! and i've been working, i've been a driver since may and i'm pretty satisfied with the company. so, two thumbs up, hope you guys have a nice day. >> sandra johnson and i've been working for mobility plus for about 4 and a half years. i love it. this is my job and i love it. it's very rewarding for me. one of my proudest moments is one of my clients left his cane on the bus and i've been picking him up now for about three years so i know that that

cane was important to him. and i had dropped him off and i noticed the cane later on that day so i kept it with me and when i went back down to la play, when i worked my way back down there on a break to give it to him, he kissed my hand, 'cuz he can't talk. so he grabbed my hand and he kissed my hand. it just made me know that that was an important thing for him. so that was my proudest moment. [music] >> one couple who were riding with us, morning and afternoon, mr. and mrs. lee. mr. lee was the dialysis patient and he's probably in his 80's and every time we would drive up to buchanan street, the hospital, mr. lee would say, "good job, fine driver, number one driver" and he would go like this [thumbs up gesture]. and then as brian would be helping him off the van, mr. lee, i heard him so often say, "brian, if anybody gives you

any trouble you send them to me and i'll take care of them." and here great big old brian would say, "henry, you're the first one i would try to get help from." and he says, "the second one is elsa." [laugh] so we knew that we were being relied on by brian. a few weeks back, mrs. lee called brian early in the morning to tell him not to bother picking them up because they were already at the hospital. mr. lee was ill and she had taken him to the er. the next day or so, brian, on his lunchtime, found out that mr. lee had been admitted to the hospital and he went up to mr. lee's room and just stuck his head in just to say hello. and the minute mr. lee saw him he went [gesture thumb up in the air] like that. and mrs. lee said, "he's telling you again you're number one driver. so brian really appreciated that; he thought that was really sweet. but he could see mr. lee was'