At the recommendation of BLDD Architect Damien Schlitt, Mahomet-Seymour will move away from the design-bid-build model and into a Construction Manager model as the district looks to undertake facility upgrades should the June 28 referendum pass. This model will move the district away from the competitive bid process and just require it to have one contract with the Manager who oversees nearly everything.
The Mahomet-Seymour School District is requesting proposals for the services of a Construction Manager ahead of a June 28 vote which will decide if taxpayers will take on a $97.9 million referendum that will provide a new junior high school, a bus barn and additions as possible throughout the district.
The move to put out the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) was made during the May 16 Mahomet-Seymour School Board meeting.
In a 4-1 vote, Ken Keefe, Justin Lamb, Max McComb, and Sunny McMurry in favor and Colleen Schultz against, the board moved forward with seeking applicants for the Construction Manager, hoping that if the referendum passes, a decision can be made quickly in order to get started on the project. Usually this process happens after voters make their decision, but with the late election date the board felt it prudent to start accepting applicants now.
Hiring a Construction Manager is not out of the scope for Mahomet-Seymour. In 2017, the district hired former superintendent Rick Johnston as the building construction consultant for Middletown Prairie. He was hired as a part-time employee of the district for $75,000. In 2018 he was given another 10 days of work for $750 a day.
Architect Damien Schlitt with BLDD presented the board with what the responsibilities of a Construction Manager would be in the May meeting. The step would eliminate the typical process of design-bid-build, where the district is required to take the lowest responsible bidder (by law), many times ending up hiring a General Contractor (GC). The GC is responsible for all subcontracts for individual trades, the project schedule, and the job site while the district is in communication with two entities, the architect and the general contractor.
At the conclusion of the project, the general contractor is responsible for the completion of all the work, the quality of the work, training your personnel to operate the finished facility, and providing a general warranty for one year. This is the way the district completed Middletown Prairie I and II with Johnston overseeing the work and reporting the board.
With the Construction Manager option, the district would be “adding the leader of the construction phase early in the design phase.”
The Construction Manager assumes the responsibility of the trade contracts and creates a single Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) that includes all the known and assumed costs of the construction project.
The board packet goes on to explain, “Currently, most construction managers work in tandem with the design team throughout all phases of the project. In this method, the owner retains a construction professional(s) during the pre-construction phase, officially called the Construction Manager (CM). The design team, aided by the construction manager then develops the design and prepares the documents in conjunction with the Construction Manager’s preconstruction services. During the preconstruction phases, the construction manager typically prepares the budget estimates and advises the architect team on construction strategies, develops the construction schedule, assists in preparing cost reduction strategies, and structures the bidding process. Once the bid documents are complete the CM solicits multiple bids from trade contractors. The Construction Manager oversees the bidding process and coordinates the bid opening. Once all trade packages are opened and vetted with the individual trades, contracts are then made on behalf of the client with each trade. On most jobs this results in a contract with the architect, construction manager, and ten to fifteen individual contractors. The Construction Manager effectively replaces the General Contractor’s role in construction oversight, scheduling, and managing the job site. At the conclusion of the project, the Construction Manager will coordinate the closeout of the trade contractors’ work. All contractors will provide a warranty for their work.”
BLDD laid out the pros and cons of this option as:
Pros
o May allow the owner to reduce the number of contracts they administer (CMAR)
o Increases the likelihood of on-site construction professionals on-site overseeing the trade contractors
o May reduce the client’s dedicated time during the construction phase
o Adds construction expertise and expanded estimating capabilities to the design team
o Reduces the risk of a contentious construction process due to an underbid
o Allows you to select your construction team from the beginning
o Reduces the reliance on the local general contracting availability and expertise.
o Creates transparency on the trade bid packages.
Cons
o May increase the number of contracts the owner must administer (CMA)
o Increases the overhead costs of the project due to a lower portion of the project’s competitive bidding.
o May reduce the number of trade partners for some packages due to conflicts of interest
o Can delay the design process due to conflicts in processes and procedures between CM/design team.
o Additional costs to the pre-construction efforts due to the additional professional fees.
Although the board of education has not decided on final options for any of the facilities, the Construction Manager is asked to provide information related to:
- A new 140,000sf 6th – 8th grade facility to replace the existing Mahomet Seymour Junior High (MSJH). This includes all site work, paving, bus, and car drop off, as well as an 8-lane track, baseball field and softball field. This is located on property south of the existing Middletown Prairie Elementary School (MPE) in East Mahomet.
A new bus barn and transportation facility with associated paving and parking. This is also located south of the existing MPE facility; - Mahomet Seymour High School (MSHS) is to receive a new approximately 35,000sf fine arts wing with band, choir, art, and performance space (auditorium), and support spaces. Renovations include roughly 11,800sf of vacated fine arts spaces into additional PE lockers, and classrooms. Site work includes new turf at varsity field, a second turf JV field, rebuilt 8-lane track, and turf baseball and softball fields;
- Lincoln Trail Elementary (LTE) is to receive approximately 25,000sf addition and roughly 11,800sf of renovations to existing library and core spaces to provide student support spaces. Additionally, site work to provide improved site circulation, bus drop, etc;
- MPE is to receive a 10-classroom addition and minor site improvements as needed;
- Demolition of the existing MSJH (roughly 80,000sf) is called for upon completion of the project – this scope is TBD.
Should the referendum pass, the board of education will then select a few applications to pursue before choosing a Construction Manager.
