MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of Microsoft Refresh Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Contract Extension
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Authorize the Mayor to sign the attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Redmond and Microsoft for the continued funding of additional City personnel for the Microsoft Refresh project.
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carol Helland, Director 425-556-2107
Jason Lynch, Assistant Director - DSC 425-556-2483
Steven Fischer, Project Manager, Microsoft Refresh 425-556-2432
Aaron Ruffin, Senior Planner, Microsoft Refresh 425-556-2925
Planning and Community Development Department
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
In 2017, Microsoft approached the City about a new project, known as Microsoft Refresh, which would include the demolition of the original campus and the creation of 17 new buildings totaling 2.5 million square feet of office and retail space, and sports fields and other amenity facilities for their new corporate headquarters.
The City's staffing levels at that time would not allow the Microsoft Refresh project to be completed within Microsoft's requested construction time frame without impacting and reducing development services and inspections for other Redmond customers. On July 17, 2018, the City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Microsoft for the hiring of twenty-two (22) City of Redmond staff to provide expedited plan review and inspection services for the proposed Microsoft Refresh project. With hiring completed, the City began the review of plans and permits in the Fall of 2018. To date, the project has progressed with the approval of six land use permits, construction of utilities has been completed, the garage is under construction, and the permit review for the office buildings is underway.
A. Analysis
In late 2019, it became apparent that the duration of the MOU was not suffic...
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