Construction of the new school will officially break ground on Monday, Aug. 17, which also marks the first day of classes for the 2015-16 school year in the district of more than 3,000 students.
District officials had originally planned for the school to be open for the 2016-17 academic year, but construction will now stretch into some part of that school year.
Robertson Construction has been hired as Construction Manager at Risk for the nearly $15 million project, which means the firm assumes responsibility for the difference if the project runs over what is budgeted.
The final paperwork was approved at the July 13 board of education meeting and bids were advertised. The bids were opened July 30 for the school, which is one of the district’s three elementaries.
Bids were divided into 21 separate packages for various parts of the project and a total of 67 bids were received.
District Treasurer Mike Davis said he was not pleased with the low number of bidders in a couple of the 21 bid package areas but was excited about higher numbers in some others.
“I think we are starting in a good place,” Davis said. “I’m a little disappointed we did not have more competition when you look at some of the bigger pieces.”
Robertson provided a bid package tabulation showing the number of bids received, the Gross Maximum Price estimated for each package, the highest base bid, the average base bid and the second to the lowest base bid in each and the amount each of those was over or under the estimate.
Masonry, for example, was the second-highest priced bid package at $2.032 million but only two bids were received in that package with the high bid at $2.650 million. The other bid of $2.213 million was still $181,236 over the estimate.
Roofing, on the other hand, had five bidders and the next to the lowest bid would be $52,287 below the GMP estimate.
The largest single bid package is electricity/technology, estimated at $2.318 million, which came in at $1.919 million on the next to lowest bid among four bidders. That would represent a savings of $399,000.
Davis pointed out that the bid tabulation provided to him does not show the lowest bids in each package. By showing the highest, average and next to lowest bids, Robertson is saving those lowest bids for after a series of meetings with bidders on each package, scheduled for the coming week.
All bidders were screened prior to the process so that all were pre-qualified but this way Robertson can meet with them and make sure the lowest bids are really the best bids.
“They are being very conservative, but they will have to show me and the community what the low bids will be,” Davis said. “The good news here is that using the second-lowest bid, we are starting at just about $150,000 over the GMP.”
That amount would likely be made up assuming all the low bids prove to be acceptable and Davis said a savings can be used to add alternates at the end of the process or keep the money in the capital improvement fund.
“If for some reason they do not take the lowest bid, they will have to explain to me and to the board why not,” Davis said.
Another large item is the HVAC bid package, estimated at $1.821 million, which saw a next to low bid of $1.878 million but Davis said he was pleased to see four bidders in that category. Roofing saw the most bidders, with five, and two packages—caulking and lockers—had only one bidder each.
Loose furnishings has not been bid yet since that involves desks, shelving, office furniture and cafeteria furnishings which will not be needed until the building is finished but the GMP for that package is estimated at $387,500.
The public is invited to the ceremonial groundbreaking at 6:30 p.m. Monday, officially signaling the start of the project.
The board’s regular August meeting will be that same evening, at 7:30 but will be held at Kramer to avoid having those attending the groundbreaking having to drive elsewhere for the meeting.
Davis said Robertson will provide a construction update at that meeting.
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