Facilities committee recommends Murata Maine and Boyle Construction for Chancellor Center work; board to review options in November

Council Rock School District facilities staff told the Facilities Committee on Oct. 9 that they recommend Murata Maine for architectural services and Boyle Construction for construction management for the Chancellor Center project and asked the board to permit the firms to perform an initial joint assessment and present recommendations at the November meeting.

Jessica Vinda, the district’s supervisor of facilities, said 19 architectural firms attended the mandatory pre-proposal walk-through and the district received 11 architecture proposals; four firms were interviewed and Murata Maine was the committee’s recommendation after reference checks. For construction management, five firms attended the pre-proposal walk-through and four proposals were received; two firms were interviewed and the committee recommended Boyle Construction.

“We did an extensive reference check,” Vinda said of both recommended firms. “Everyone that I spoke to, they all say great things about Murata Maine,” she added, noting that staff contacted both client references firms provided and others not listed by the firms.

Vinda explained the procurement approach built three fee tiers tied to three project options submitted in the RFP: a limited “warm, safe and dry” package (Option 1), a full capital-improvement assessment (Option 2), and full renovation (Option 3). Firms submitted percentage fees based on the district’s estimated construction budgets so the reported fee is a percentage of the construction cost; Vinda described sample construction-budget scenarios during the meeting, noting that design-phase estimates can push the construction budget up or down and that the final construction cost is typically locked at the construction-document stage prior to bidding.

She described the project timeline as starting design now, bidding roughly this time next year and starting construction in 2027, with district staff planning a move-out over winter break 2026 if a renovation option requiring temporary relocation is selected. Vinda emphasized multiple estimating checkpoints during design development and schematic design, and said staff would return to the board if estimates show the budget has to be adjusted or if a different option should be selected.

Dr. Sanko provided an update on a federal grant the district had been pursuing: he said the district has been advised not to expect the grant because of a federal budget impasse, citing a conversation with Kyle Melander in Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s office.

Board members asked several clarifying questions about the committee process, the firms’ historic-building experience, what would be included in each option, and how long administration would be displaced if construction proceeds. Vinda said all three options include work to correct water infiltration and HVAC, and that the emergency generator appears in all options. She said some basement wall repairs and drainage work would be implemented where wall deterioration exists; stable historic stone foundations would be preserved where feasible.

Public comment at the end of the meeting emphasized the building’s historic role in Newtown Borough and asked the district to pursue preservation-minded funding avenues. Speakers at the lectern noted deed restrictions tied to the original transfer of the building and urged the board to consult the borough’s Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) and to explore grant opportunities before making final decisions.

The committee sought permission to have Murata Maine and Boyle Construction perform a joint assessment out of contract and to present a recommendation in November; the transcript does not record a formal hiring or contract award at this meeting. If the board approves the firms after their November presentations, staff said they will proceed with the selected option’s detailed estimating and design work and then move toward construction bidding and contractor awards.