City of San Mateo Creates Memorial to Honor Fallen Heroes

Challenge: City Aims to Create One Place to Honor the Fallen

For decades, six different plaques recognizing veterans and service members were scattered across the City of San Mateo, California. Public interest in a centralized location for remembrance grew over the years, and in 2015, then-Mayor Maureen Freschet recommended the construction of a formal memorial. The San Mateo City Council unanimously supported the recommendation and began efforts to include a Fallen Heroes Memorial in the Central Park Master Plan.

An 11-member steering committee comprised of City Council members, veterans, retired police and fire personnel, community members and City staff was formed to guide the memorial’s development and design.  

The committee presented its final concept to the Parks and Recreation Commission, which approved the design and forwarded it to City Council, which subsequently approved the recognition criteria policy. After years of discussion and planning, the City of San Mateo sought a way to expedite the project’s implementation.

Solution: Cooperative JOC Sets the Stage for Success

City leaders leveraged a Gordian Job Order Contract (JOC) through Sourcewell, a major purchasing cooperative, to install the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Central Park. Gordian’s Cooperative Job Order Contracting (JOC), also known as ezIQC®, is a construction-ready contract that enables public entities to accelerate the project delivery process while meeting procurement regulations. With a verified Unit Price Book and pre-vetted contractors in place, work can begin within days.  

This efficiency contributed to Sourcewell’s statewide Job Order Contract being used to complete more than $114 million of construction across California in 2024. 

By using Cooperative JOC, the City of San Mateo avoided the time-consuming process of developing formal project specifications. Instead, the city’s existing drawings served as the basis for a Price Proposal.

 “Using Gordian’s Cooperative JOC allowed us to move this deeply meaningful project forward without delay,” said Parks and Recreation Director Joanne Magrini, “It streamlined our procurement process, gave us access to trusted contractors and enabled us to focus on the memorial’s significance rather than getting bogged down in red tape.”

 The contract was awarded to Staples Construction, a firm with over 20+ years of JOC experience and many military veterans on staff. Staples Construction procured materials and began construction in December 2023. The project was completed in May of 2024 and celebrated in a public ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Gordian’s Cooperative JOC allowed us to move this deeply meaningful project forward without delay.”

– Joane Magrini | Parks and Recreation Director | City of San Mateo

Result: A Beautiful Memorial to Fallen Heroes

Composed of seven stainless steel monoliths, the City of San Mateo’s Fallen Heroes Memorial blends solemnity and beauty, emotional resonance with thoughtful design. The monuments are engraved with the names of local military and public safety personnel, creating a sacred space for visitors to Central Park to come for remembrance and gratitude.

When viewed from a specific point in the distance, the seven monoliths form the image of a red poppy flower, referencing the war poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian poet and World War I veteran John McCrae. The poem symbolizes remembrance and is considered one of the most storied war poems in history.

Additionally, members of the community had the opportunity to purchase donor bricks to express their support for fallen heroes. One such brick was purchased by Staples Construction, the contractor awarded the project, as a tribute to the veterans on their staff. Alongside civilian contributions, the project received significant public funding, including a $50,000 donation from the San Mateo City Council, a $25,000 pledge from the County of San Mateo, and $103,400 from the City’s Art in Public Places Fund. In total, donations exceeded $315,000 — well above the project’s cost of $241,751 — highlighting the deep community support for the Fallen Heroes Memorial.

The project’s impact and importance were further recognized with a 2024 Award of Merit in Job Order Contracting.