The construction and opening of new Muscogee County school will be delayed. Here’s why
If you want a prime example of the impact the nation’s inflation rate is having on the local economy in the Columbus area, Monday night’s Muscogee County School District board work session provided it.
Tuesday, the U.S. Labor Department announced its consumer price index increased 8.5% in March — the largest year-over-year increase since December 1981.
Nobody at the MCSD board’s monthly work session needed that news to know soaring prices are hindering the district’s progress on some construction projects funded by the 1% Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
MCSD officials cited the rough economy as the reason for delaying the scheduled opening of a new school and having fewer construction companies bidding on projects.
New school delayed
In June 2020, Columbus voters renewed the ESPLOST for another five years or until $189 million for 22 projects is collected. The most expensive of those projects is the $25 million allotted for a new elementary school. Dawson and St. Marys Road elementary schools will close and merge into the new school, which will be built on Dawson’s property. Hecht Burdeshaw of Columbus is the architect.
The project’s original budget included an estimated $20 million for construction. But the lowest bid from a construction company was $34 million. Even after value-engineering the project, the lowest price for construction still was significantly overbudget at $32 million. So the administration is redesigning the project, MCSD chief facilities and operations officer Travis Anderson told the board.
This means the new school’s expected completion is delayed one year and now is scheduled to open in time to start the fall 2024 semester. The project also will be redesigned to align its parameters with Dorothy Height Elementary School, which opened in 2014, Anderson said. The ESPLOST Columbus voters approved in 2009 funded $17.5 million for the Dorothy Height project.
The administration plans to present at a board meeting this fall a new budget for Dawson-St. Marys Road replacement school, then accept construction bids, hire a contractor and break ground in early 2023.
Reduced contractor bids
While inflation has increased the price of construction, fewer companies are bidding on projects, MCSD senior director for plant services and construction Ward Odom told the board. That’s why the administration presented the board a bid from only one construction company for three projects on the agenda.
“That’s the environment we live in,” Odom said.
The board is scheduled to vote during its April 18 meeting on approving superintendent David Lewis’ recommendations to award contracts to:
- Don Jones Construction (dba DJI Builders) of Columbus for $1,797,147.90 to add four new classrooms and renovate the building at Mathews Elementary School. Neal, Kendust & Murray of Columbus is the architect. The project’s budget is $2,685,000. The estimated completion is this winter.
- Ben B. Gordy Construction of Columbus as construction manager at risk for the renovation projects at Lonnie Jackson Academy (an elementary school) and Rothschild Leadership Academy (a middle school). Construction manager at risk provides professional services and consultation to deliver a guaranteed maximum price for the project. The budget for each of those projects is not to exceed $400,000, and they are expected to be finished by the time next school year starts, Odom told the Ledger-Enquirer.
- River City Contracting of Columbus as construction manager at risk for renovations at Brewer, Davis and Key elementary schools. The budget for each of those projects is not to exceed $400,000, and they are expected to be finished by the time next school year starts, Odom told the L-E.
District 7 representative Cathy Williams told Odom she understands construction companies are pulling back from projects because “there is so much uncertainty” in the economy, but she asked for more details about the process the administration went through to generate requests for proposals. She also asked the administration to provide the board more information about the selected construction companies, such as how many times they have been a contractor for MCSD.
The administration followed its usual procurement process, Odom said, advertising the RFPs for 28 days on the state and district websites.
Williams asked whether the administration also calls construction companies to ensure they see the RFPs. Odom said they do.
District 6 representative Mark Cantrell asked why each of the three selected companies didn’t bid on all three jobs. They don’t have enough manpower to do that, Odom said.
“Everybody’s stretched right now,” he said.
Noting the updated bids for the $6,319,000 HVAC project at Jordan Vocational High School came in under budget, District 5 representative Laurie McRae said, “We don’t hear that much these days,” as she thanked the administration and sparked laughter in the room.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 6:50 AM.
