Illinois Firm Hagerty Consulting will Oversee LA Fire Rebuild

Los Angeles has hired Hagerty Consulting, a Chicago-area firm, to oversee the rebuilding of more than 6,800 homes and businesses destroyed in last month’s Pacific Palisades wildfire.

Mayor Karen Bass announced that the Evanston-based disaster recovery contractor will manage infrastructure restoration and environmental mitigation across nearly 37 square miles burned in the fire, the Los Angeles Times reported. The city is also in talks with AECOM, a global engineering firm, for a separate contract, possibly to assist with cost recovery. The contract amount has not been disclosed.

Hagerty will handle “full project management, coordinating all of the different private and public entities,” Bass said last week. The firm will also oversee public infrastructure rebuilding.

Bass and Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff previously stated that the firm managing L.A.’s wildfire recovery would assess damage, monitor air and water quality, liaise with federal agencies, and maximize federal funding for the city. The cost of Hagerty’s services has not been disclosed.

The firm will report to Jim Featherstone, who was appointed by Bass to oversee the Emergency Operations Center’s recovery group. “We have selected Hagerty, a world-class disaster recovery firm, to provide expertise and operational support to facilitate our comprehensive recovery effort,” Bass said at a press conference.

Hagerty Consulting, founded in 2001 by former Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty, specializes in disaster recovery for cities and local governments. The firm has worked on Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Michael, and the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed 18,000 structures in Northern California.

Since touring the wildfire site with Soboroff, Bass has conducted a largely behind-the-scenes search for a recovery contractor. In a closed-door meeting last month, the mayor, four council members, and other city officials heard presentations from three firms: Hagerty, AECOM (Dallas), and IEM (North Carolina).

Hagerty has also been involved in disaster response for Los Angeles County, and Bass suggested additional private firms may be hired.

Because Bass declared a state of emergency, she has the authority to award the contract without competitive bidding or a City Council vote, according to Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. However, funding for recovery contracts will require council approval.

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