Gadsden board approves $864,772 GMP amendment to start Phase 1 demolition and site work

The Gadsden County School Board at a special meeting approved a guaranteed maximum price amendment of $864,772 to begin Phase 1 work on the district’s new school, clearing the way for summer demolition, temporary bus routing and other site preparations.

The GMP approved covers Phase 1 activities that project representatives said are already included in the district’s overall budget for the project and will fund demolition, fencing, abatement work and temporary campus changes before school resumes. Scott Brewer, Allstate representative, told the board, “what we need the board to do is take action on that guaranteed price as an amendment to the contract.”

The amendment authorizes early construction steps while the design team continues drawings toward a final guaranteed price. Brewer said permitting for site, environmental and building approvals is not part of this phase; he added that inspection services for construction will be provided by Rod McQueen, a registered building official with Leon County Schools, and that McQueen’s fees are lower than other options. “We’re not to a point to start the site permitting, environmental permitting and building permitting just yet,” Brewer said.

Board members pressed for detail on what Phase 1 does and does not include. The contract and cost breakdown list allowances and contingencies for unknown conditions rather than hard-line line-item costs for every permit or risk. Brewer explained that builder’s risk deductibles and general liability scenarios for the existing buildings are handled via the district’s existing insurance; builder’s risk in the GMP applies primarily to new materials and construction. He said allowances and contingency funds will be used if unknown hazardous materials or unexpected underground conditions are encountered, and any draw on contingency would be brought back to the board for approval.

The cost summary cited several specific allowances that board members flagged: a $10,000 allowance for site surveys and utility locating; a $100,000 capped allowance for temporary walkway covers to protect student drop-off during construction; allowances for temporary utilities and three months of project cellular service for field staff; and disposal and dumpster services for furniture or modular partitions removed during demolition. Brewer said unused allowance funds would be returned to the project funds.

The board discussed temporary bus routing: the plan moves the bus drop-off into the existing parking lot and will require tree trimming, signage and temporary traffic routing; those items are included as allowances in the Phase 1 costs. The current on-campus clinic building will be removed in this phase and the new school design includes permanent clinic space inside the new facility, project staff said. Staff also said district inventory controls will track any equipment or furniture taken from buildings before disposal.

Local participation and contracting was a recurring topic. Norman McMillan, a local project representative on the contractor team, and Brewer said the contractor solicited local subcontractors and plans pre-bid workshops and break‑out bid packages to allow smaller local firms to participate. “We will have a series of those workshops, pre bid meetings before we get to the bid date, and [we’re] encouraging that participation for sure,” Brewer said. Board members urged prioritizing hiring and subcontract opportunities for Gadsden County businesses.

Funding for the overall project remains in flux at the state level. Brewer reported that an update from Mr. Wynne indicated the additional state funding requested for the project appears in the Senate budget but not in the House budget. “The additional funding is in the Senate budget for Gadsden County schools and not in the House budget,” Brewer said; the board noted that final project funding will depend on the Legislature’s final budget decisions.

After questions and clarifications, a board member moved that the board approve the proposed GMP “totaling $864,772 as presented.” The motion was approved by voice vote; the chair said there was no opposition. The board asked the contractor and district staff to hold a kickoff meeting with district facilities staff, begin the Phase 1 work this summer, hold outreach workshops for local subcontractors, and return to the board with regular progress reports.

What happens next: project staff said design deliverables to check the next phase’s pricing against the district budget are expected in the near term. The contractor will continue design coordination, solicit final bids for later phases and return to the board with a final guaranteed maximum price for full construction when design and permitting allow.