Middleburg council awards design and construction-management contracts for Asbury Church restoration
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Summary
Council authorized contracts with Clavey & Holmes for architectural/engineering design and Downey & Scott for construction management to produce schematic designs and cost estimates for the Asbury Church restoration, approving up to roughly $353,000 for the design phase; both contracts allow termination for convenience.
The Middleburg Town Council on Aug. 19 authorized contracts to advance design work and construction management for the planned restoration of Asbury Church, approving a combined design‑phase budget of about $353,000 and directed staff to proceed with site investigations and schematic design work.
Councilor Rhonda North told the council the town received four proposals for each contract, interviewed finalists and negotiated scopes to narrow costs. "The first phase will be site investigation, schematic designs and construction documents," North said. "If the investigation shows costs are substantially higher, the town may terminate the contracts before incurring additional design costs."
Why it matters: Council members said the design documents and cost estimates are necessary to pursue grant funding and to decide whether restoration is feasible within the town’s competing capital priorities. The contracts will provide a more precise cost estimate, allow staff to pursue funding, and create construction documents needed for permitting or grant applications.
Details: The council authorized a contract with Clavey & Holmes (proposal dated 08/19/2025) for architectural and engineering design services, with an initial site‑investigation task (about $25,000) and a full design phase quoted at roughly $238,000. The council then approved a contract with Downey & Scott for construction management services; staff described preconstruction and cost‑estimating services at about $114,000. North said the total design‑phase cost for both firms is approximately $353,000.
Both contracts include a termination‑for‑convenience clause so the town can stop work if site findings or cost estimates make the project impractical. Council members repeatedly emphasized the town’s limited capital resources and the need to stop the project if the estimated construction cost exceeds what the council is willing to fund.
Council action: Councilor Kevin Daley moved to authorize the town manager to sign the contract with Clavey & Holmes, contingent on town‑attorney approval; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote (aye: Bernard, Curran, Daley, Kirk, Pearson). The council then authorized the town manager to sign the construction‑management contract with Downey & Scott; that motion also passed on a roll call (same recorded ayes).
What’s next: The firms will complete site investigation and schematic design; the council will review schematic layouts and an initial construction cost estimate before deciding whether to proceed to final construction documents or to stop further work. Staff said the schematic phase will include at least one public presentation before construction documents are produced.
