Board reviews $5.7M GMP‑3 for athletics upgrades; turf, track, courts, underground detention added

The Amherst Exempted Village Board of Education on a February agenda reviewed Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 3 for the district athletics upgrades, a construction manager presentation that the project team said comes in below the budgeted estimate.

The presentation matters because the package covers the football field turf and subsurface, full-depth track replacement, visitor bleachers, field-event surfaces, six tennis courts, four pickleball courts and an underground stormwater detention system — work that affects spring practices, summer construction sequencing and fall athletics availability.

Matt Collier, one of the construction presenters, said the GMP was developed through bidding and subcontractor coordination and “we were able to come up with a budget on the project” that left money for additional alternates. The team described the athletics scope as new turf, a new track, bleachers on both home and visitor sides, field-event work, new tennis courts and additional pickleball courts.

Why it matters: the package changes campus circulation during construction, requires staging next to school operations and includes components that affect ongoing maintenance. The team said the form of a three‑tier turf system was chosen to align with district safety and conference peers, adding two years to the standard warranty (from an eight‑year base to a 10‑year warranty on the selected product).

Key contractor choices and alternates

- Alternates accepted in GMP 3 include concrete work for a future grand entry (sidewalk/grading and masonry piers), an upgraded set of visitor bleachers, an extra tennis court and additional pickleball courts (the final count described was six tennis courts and four pickleball courts). - The project uses an underground polyethylene detention system instead of an open retention pond; presenters said the underground system requires only routine maintenance (cleanout ports) and will be grassed, not left as an exposed basin. - The turf bid included a three‑layer infill (described repeatedly as a step up in safety from a two‑layer base). The contractors characterized the upgrade as focused on sub‑turf construction (infills/underlay) rather than a change to the appearance of the turf surface.

Schedule, staging and risk

Construction managers said they expect to begin mobilization in mid‑March, run through summer and complete major work by August, with handover preparations occurring after the district’s common relay event; a tentative handover window mentioned was June 26–27 (dates referenced in discussion). The team warned weather and other forces outside contractor control remain the primary schedule risk.

District staff discussed staging limits because the site is condensed; presenters pointed to a secondary laydown area for materials so school and construction activities can coexist in March and April. The athletics team also noted contingency planning if the stadium is not fully ready for the first home game, with alternate sites and a three‑week buffer in the schedule.

Budget and procurement path

Presenters said GMP 3 came in around $5.7 million against an earlier planning figure near $6.5 million, leaving budget surplus available to fund remaining elements (for example, a grand entry and ticket building), which the team said they will procure through either a GMP 4 or a change‑order approach.

What remains

The ticket booth/grand‑entry structure and some decorative items were described as a separate package to be bid soon; concrete and grading required for that entry were included as alternates in GMP 3. Presenters said additional conduit will be installed now to reduce future disruption if stadium lighting is added later.

Sources and process notes

The construction managers presented multiple exhibits and alternates at the board meeting and answered questions about staging, maintenance and warranty. Board members pressed on timeline realism, maintenance of the underground detention system, locations for temporary tennis play (Blakey Park was named as an alternate) and how the district will manage the remaining work and budget.

Ending

District and construction staff described the GMP 3 package as complete enough to proceed to purchase orders and contractor mobilization, subject to the usual weather and supply‑chain risks discussed during the meeting.