When the City of Tracy began working toward a new community center, they knew that partnering with the right organization would make the process smoother and yield a better outcome. The City has already worked with Bollig Engineering on municipal infrastructure improvements y aviation projects at the Tracy Municipal Airport, and that relationship provided an important foundation for the community center project. Bollig was familiar with Tracy’s leaders, priorities, infrastructure, funding realities, and long-term plans. City staff and council members also knew the Bollig team and understood their approach to projects. For a small city managing many priorities with limited staff, that familiarity mattered.
Why Does Continuity Matter in a Small City?
Small-city employees and elected officials often manage several responsibilities at once. A community building project may be underway alongside street improvements, water and sewer work, airport planning, parks, public safety needs, and other community investments. Working with a familiar consultant can make it easier to connect those priorities. It also reduces the time required to establish new working relationships or repeatedly explain the community’s goals.
Janet Arvizu, Council Member for the City of Tracy, said the City’s relationship with Bollig provides valuable continuity. “We get to know the people,” Janet explained. “Our public works director has to work carefully and closely with engineers because we’ve got a lot of city projects that are ongoing. Having that continuity, I think, is really important in a relationship.” Continuity didn’t mean every answer was already known. It meant Tracy had a familiar team that could listen, adjust, and bring in specialized expertise as new needs emerged.
An Established Relationship Expanded to Meet a New Need
Bollig had served as Tracy’s airport engineer for years before also becoming the City’s municipal consultant. The team was already helping Tracy plan and complete projects at the Tracy Municipal Airport and throughout the community. Jordan Odegard, Project Engineer at Bollig Engineering, said working across several types of projects helped build a stronger understanding of the City. “We’re working on airport projects, we’re working on infrastructure projects with them, and then also this community center,” Jordan said. “We’re there for them in different ways, other than just architectural or airport or municipal.”
When Tracy needed professional help with the community center, the City built on that established partnership and brought Bollig’s architecture team into the process. For Jeff Carpenter, City Administrator for the City of Tracy, that decision felt natural. The City already relied on Bollig’s aviation team for airport questions and planning and had developed relationships with other Bollig staff through municipal projects. Jeff said involving Bollig in the community center was “just a no-brainer.”
Familiarity Made It Easier to Adapt
The Tracy Area Community Center project evolved considerably before reaching the construction stage. The community considered several possible locations, explored new construction, pursued different grants, and adjusted the scope as funding and opportunities changed. Since Bollig was already familiar with Tracy, the team could help the City navigate those changes within the context of its larger priorities. Jordan explained that Bollig stayed involved through “changing locations, changing project scope, working through different grant opportunities, different funding sources, and what it takes to get the project to completion.” He described the relationship as working on projects “with the city instead of para the city.” That distinction reflects the collaborative approach many small communities need. Rather than bringing Tracy a predetermined answer, Bollig worked alongside city leaders and community representatives as the plan developed.
The Right Expertise at the Right Time
The community center also allowed Tracy to draw on services beyond the infrastructure and aviation work it had previously completed with Bollig. Tom Dobson, Community Development Director for the City of Tracy, said the City initially expected its work with Bollig to focus primarily on streets, roads, water, sewer, and other infrastructure. When the community center opportunity emerged, Tracy expanded that relationship and worked with Bollig’s architecture team. Tom said Bollig’s experience working with smaller communities made the partnership a natural fit. Looking at the completed facility, he summarized the value of that professional guidance simply: “This is why you hire an architect.” The established relationship helped Tracy access the specialized services the project required without losing the familiarity and continuity the City had already developed with Bollig.
Moving Tracy Forward, One Project at a Time
The Tracy Area Community Center is one part of a much larger effort to invest in the community’s future. Tracy continues to plan for infrastructure improvements, airport needs, public facilities, parks, and other long-term priorities. Jeff believes cities must continue planning and pursuing opportunities, even when resources are limited. “You can be a city that just sits there and does nothing,” he said, “and then nothing turns into nothing. So you’ve got to keep moving ahead.” That forward-looking mindset is reflected in both the community center and Tracy’s broader planning. Each project addresses a different need, but together they contribute to the community’s quality of life, services, and long-term sustainability.
At the ribbon-cutting, Barbara Marks, Senior Architectural Designer at Bollig Engineering, described why the Tracy Area Community Center represents more than a completed building. She said community means having “a place where people can come together face to face, not just interface to interface.” It is a place where people can “learn, grow, be curious, lift one another up, heal, and share life with others.” Barbara added that the center is “not simply walls, doors, and meeting rooms. It is a place of connection. A place of opportunity. A place that strengthens the fabric of Tracy.”
For Tracy, working with a familiar team provides more than convenience. It creates continuity between projects, strengthens communication, and gives the City a partner that understands where the community has been and where it wants to go next. Explore the Tracy Area Community Center Featured Project to see how the existing building became a flexible place for gathering, learning, and community activities.
What Can Other Small Cities Take Away?
Tracy’s experience offers several lessons for other communities:
- Long-term relationships build valuable community knowledge. A familiar engineering partner can better understand how individual projects fit into broader priorities.
- Continuity supports more efficient communication. City leaders know whom to contact, and the project team already understands local processes and goals.
- Different projects may require different specialists. An established partner can bring in the right aviation, municipal, architectural, or engineering expertise when it is needed.
- Collaboration matters. The best results come from working with a city and its community, not simply completing work for them.
- Long-term planning helps cities move forward. Infrastructure, airports, public buildings, and other investments should support a coordinated community vision.
Planning What Comes Next
Bollig works with small cities on municipal infrastructure, aviation, funding, and long-term project planning. By building lasting relationships, our team can help communities connect individual improvements to their larger goals. Contact Bollig to discuss your community’s priorities.
Related projects:
Tracy Area Community Center Featured Project https://bollig-engineering.com/featured-projects/tracy-community-center
Aeropuerto Municipal de Tracy https://bollig-engineering.com/featured-projects/tracy-municipal-airport/
Tracy Infrastructure Improvements https://bollig-engineering.com/public-project/tracy-mn-phase-e/
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