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Smithfield approves $456,210 design-build contract for restrooms across from News River Amphitheater
Summary
The council awarded a $456,210 design-build contract to Southern Tide Homes for a restroom facility at 107 S. Front St., to be funded in part by a $300,000 SCIF state grant; councilors questioned cost per square foot and asked staff to value-engineer elements where feasible.
The Town of Smithfield council voted to award a $456,210 design-build contract to Southern Tide Homes (with Turpentine Designs listed as architect) for construction of restroom facilities at 107 South Front Street, the lot the town recently purchased across from the News River Amphitheater.
Parks and staff presenters, led by Gary Johnson and Town Manager Mike Scott, told the council the town received a $300,000 SCIF grant dedicated to restroom infrastructure at the amphitheater. Because the grant requires the funds be committed or spent by October of this year, staff recommended a design-build procurement to speed schedule. The proposed contract includes an estimated design fee of roughly $75,000 and construction costs of about $381,000, producing a total proposal of $456,210.
Council members discussed alternatives and costs. Staff said a prefabricated model with the same stall count had been estimated at about $497,000, and an estimate from Balfour Beatty (the firm that renovated the amphitheater) ran about $545,000 for a comparable facility. Councilman Scott and others expressed concern about the overall price and asked whether value engineering—changes in materials or removing nonessential features—could lower costs. Staff responded that some site-specific items (water and sewer taps, which may already exist) could reduce costs and that materials (roofing type, siding) could be adjusted.
Finance and procurement: The town bought the lot across from the amphitheater with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and staff recommended the town use revenue-replacement ARPA balances in the general fund to cover the town’s local portion of the project. Manager Scott said using ARPA/revenue-replacement funds would make the entire project grant-driven. Staff also said that the town intends to reuse the facility’s design for future park restroom projects to gain efficiencies.
Timing and constraints: The SCIF grant’s condition that the funds be used by October was raised repeatedly; staff said the design-build approach was chosen to meet that timeline. Council approved the contract with direction to remain within the negotiated budget and to pursue minor value-engineering adjustments where practical.
The motion to approve the contract passed on a voice vote. Staff will proceed to finalize design documents, obtain permits and schedule construction to meet the grant deadline.
