Late last month it was announced that a prime contractor consortium led by Sylmar-based construction contractor Tutor Perini Corp. has been named the “best value proposer” for the 1.6-mile, $2 billion automated people mover rail project linking downtown Inglewood with the sports and entertainment venues surrounding SoFi Stadium.
The designation allows for the beginning of exclusive negotiations for a construction contract with the project developer, a joint-powers authority consisting of the City of Inglewood and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro. Construction is slated to start next year.
“Last week, we announced that our public-private partnership consortium Elevate Inglewood Partners in which we are serving as the prime construction contractor has been selected as the best value proposal for the Inglewood Transit Connector Project in Southern California,” Tutor Perini Chief Executive Ron Tutor told analysts in the company’s earnings conference call on Aug. 2.
“We’re in active discussions and negotiation with the owner (Inglewood and Metro) regarding the project’s pricing and contractual terms. The city…anticipates that the city council will be considering the award for the project this fall,” Tutor continued.
Other members of the consortium include: Plenary Americas US Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Melbourne, Australia-based Plenary Group; Parsons Corp. of Chantilly, Virginia and Woojin Industrial System Co., an automated transit system operator and supplier headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
The transit connector project consists of a 1.6-mile elevated guideway running mostly north-to-south, connecting to the K Line at the Downtown Inglewood Station on the north end.
The route will have three new stations: Market Street/Florence Avenue in downtown Inglewood; Prairie Avenue/Manchester Boulevard near the Kia Forum; and Prairie Avenue/Hardy Street across from SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.
As with most major rail projects, the cost to build the transit connector has increased substantially, from about $1.15 billion five years ago to the current cost estimate of $2 billion, thanks in large part to rising materials and construction costs.
In January, the Federal Transit Administration announced it plans to award Inglewood just over $1 billion through its capital investment grant program, the result of a years-long effort to seek substantial federal funding for the project. The project had previously received $873 million in various federal, state and local funds.
Once the FTA grant is finalized, that will leave a funding gap of about $120 million, which Inglewood and Metro are working to fill.
