BY KARISSA MILLER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education approved the design proposal for a new elementary school during the board’s meeting on November 4.
I-SS Chief Operating Officer Mark Shinkaruk told the board that the district previously selected ADW Architects as the district’s architecture firm. ADW provided a proposal for the design fees for the elementary school project.
Shinkaruk said that the basic services and supplemental services are estimated to be around $2,668,450. A total of $3 million will cover any additional costs that may arise, he said.
THE COSTS
Basic Services
• Architectural: $1,690,100
• Site/Civil Engineering: $257,500
• Structural Engineering: $180,000
• Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection & Telecom Engineering: $434,400
• Foodservice Design: $18,000
• TOTAL: $2,580,000
Supplemental Services
• Cost estimating: $36,200
• Traffic Engineering Services: $37,250
• Project Reimbursables Allowance: $15,000
• TOTAL: $88,450
Iredell County commissioners have already allocated up to $5 million in architectural fees for this design, which will come out of district’s capital budget, Superintendent Jeff James said.
The construction budget is just over $38 million budget.
Chairman Bill Howell said the new school will alleviate overcrowding in I-SS’ district elementary schools in the southern end of the county, where the district is experiencing rapid growth in enrollment due to new housing developments coming online.
The proposed site, located off Parkertown Road in Mooresville, will be designed to accommodate around 1,000 students. Construction is expected to take 16 months once ground is broken.
I-SS plans to use Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) as the project delivery method for building the new elementary school. The architect will hire a separate construction manager to oversee the project and deliver it with what is a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).
School board attorney Dean Shatley said that because the construction manager is responsible for paying the difference if the project goes over budget, CMAR projects usually stay on budget.
“You have a dedicated agent who is out there every day that is trying to make sure the GMP is met,” Shatley said.
Shinkaruk said this method would be advantageous because the district will be building a new high school at the same time.
According to I-SS Director of Construction Scott Hager, the district will have a say in the materials that are used for the building. The districrt won’t have to worry about change orders and the other moving parts because the construction manager handles those, Hager said.
“I think the product will be delivered sooner and I think we will get a better job,” he said. “We aren’t going to have to chase people down. They will give us a date and the building will be done by that date. You aren’t going to have to worry about anything.”
Shatley said that the numbers are more transparent because each number and cost will be broken down for the board. However, he said CMAR delivery is slightly more expensive because you are mitigating risks.
School board member Anita Kurn was a member of the committee that decided to go with CMAR.
“We decided to shift to this method because of the volatility of the price of Weathers Creek High School,” Kurn said.
If the price of materials increase, she continued, the district would have a guaranteed maximum price.
“We don’t deal with the raised cost, he does. It incentives him to work faster and get the project done so we can have an elementary school sooner for the public,” she added.