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City authorizes GMP amendment and phase 2 preconstruction for MSO campus; project on budget and aiming for LEED Gold
Summary
The commission authorized Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Amendment No. 4 of $8,613,602 for phase 1 construction and a $519,205 preconstruction agreement plus 2.75% fee for phase 2 with McCownGordon for the Municipal Services & Operations (MSO) campus; staff said the project remains on approved budget and schedule and is tracking LEED Gold.
The Lawrence City Commission authorized the city manager to execute GMP Amendment No. 4 with McCownGordon for $8,613,602 and to enter a construction management agreement for preconstruction services for phase 2 in the amount of $519,205, plus 2.75% of the GMP, for the Municipal Services & Operations (MSO) Campus project on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The motions were approved as a package during the regular agenda; the vote was 5-0.
City project manager Andy Inns and the design team from Dake Wells Architecture summarized program needs, design decisions and schedule. The MSO campus collocates multiple municipal divisions on a remediated former Farmland fertilizer site. Phase 1 is under construction with a targeted move-in in summer 2026; phase 2 design is in development with construction documents scheduled for completion in spring 2026 and a targeted move-in in fall 2027.
Contractors reported site progress including foundation work, slab completion, vapor intrusion mitigation installed under slabs to address residual ammonia vapors from the site's historic fertilizer use, and masonry and early structural steel erection. Construction staff said they are reusing crushed concrete on site where feasible and have implemented other cost-management measures. McCownGordon and the city reported the project remains within the previously authorized $130 million project budget after GMP revisions and soft-cost updates.
The design team noted the campus is tracking toward LEED Gold and described sustainability measures including an all‑electric mechanical system, on-site solar arrays, native landscaping and strategies to improve occupant well-being such as daylighting and fitness spaces. The commission asked questions about surprises found during construction and mitigation strategies; staff confirmed they discovered buried foundations in the phase 2 area and installed a vapor mitigation system; no additional major surprises were reported.
The commission’s authorization allows the city to proceed with phase 1 final construction work and with preconstruction activities for phase 2. No additional city funding was requested at Tuesday’s meeting.
