Greer awards construction-manager-at-risk contract for new sports and events center to Harper

Greer City Council voted Jan. 14 to award construction-management-at-risk (CMAR) services for the city's planned sports and events center to Harper General Contractors after a two-phase procurement in which 13 firms submitted proposals.

Staff told council the procurement included an initial written-proposal review and an interview/presentation phase and that cumulative committee scores led to the recommendation for Harper General Contractors. "We had a very healthy response to this solicitation. 13 companies submitted proposals," Purchasing Agent Marisa Carcamo said.

The council and staff spent the bulk of the discussion clarifying how the CMAR delivery method will be implemented. Council members asked how and when the contractor and architect will set a guaranteed maximum price (GMP), who will carry costs for unforeseen site conditions (for example, unsuitable soils), and how change orders will be handled.

Staff said the GMP will be negotiated after the design progresses and noted that geotechnical investigations and civil engineering work are intended to reduce the risk of large, unexpected site costs. Staff also explained typical negotiations about contingency allocation between owner and contractor and said owner-initiated changes outside the agreed scope would be addressed in contract negotiations.

Council approved the award. The record shows a majority vote in favor following the staff recommendation.

The council directed staff to proceed to contract negotiations with Harper and indicated it expects to review detailed contract terms, including how change orders and contingency funds will be handled, before final execution.

What happens next: staff will begin contract negotiations with Harper, complete any outstanding geotechnical and civil work needed to fix the GMP scope, and return to council with a negotiated contract and the GMP for final approval.