South Kingstown council approves early construction package for new high school, locks in GMP of about $23.9 million

The South Kingstown Town Council on Tuesday approved a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) amendment for early construction work on the new high school, authorizing an early package valued at $23,887,771.

The school building committee recommended the early GMP and the council voted to accept the recommendation, allowing the construction manager to issue notices to proceed on early bid packages that include structural concrete, steel, site work and long‑lead items. Kate Turner, project manager with LeftField (the town’s owner's representative), said bids are being reconciled and the town expects to begin mobilization in September if permits are in place: “We are anticipating starting construction towards the September this year and finalizing construction at the end of the summer for 2027.”

Why it matters: The package covers roughly 25% of the anticipated construction work and was presented as an initial step that gives cost and schedule certainty for early work. Project staff said the early awards came in significantly below the design‑development (DD) estimates, creating room in the program budget; they also cautioned that final costs depend on remaining bid packages and ordinary change‑order risk.

What the council heard: Gilbane, the construction manager, walked the council through the awards and the buy‑in process. The recommended awards listed in the council packet (and presented at the meeting) included J.L. Marshall & Son for concrete ($3,397,000), Northeast Steel Structures for structural steel ($5,407,105), JR Venagro for site work ($5,989,661), James J. O’Rourke, Inc. for enabling electric ($1,077,400), Otis for elevators, and other trade awards and allowances. Project staff said the early awards are collectively about $5,462,588 under the DD estimate; the team attributed the savings partly to value‑engineering decisions made in design development.

Permitting and schedule risk: Officials told the council the project is still awaiting a final RPDES (stormwater) permit; Kate Turner said comments were received and responded to but the permit has not yet been issued. “If it continues past the September, it will impact our schedule and our ability to start. The building department cannot issue permits without it,” Turner said. Council members pressed staff for documentation of permit comments and project correspondence; LeftField said it had sent material to the town for distribution and would re‑send items for the council’s review.

How the bids were procured: Gilbane described its prequalification and bid‑and‑scope reconciliation process: multiple contractors were prequalified, bids were received, the team held scope clarification calls with each bidder, and then requested best‑and‑final offers before recommending awards. Frank Gallucci, senior project executive with Gilbane, said the market in Rhode Island is busy and the firm vetting process focuses on financial capacity and safety history.

Contract and owner controls: Staff explained the AIA CM‑at‑Risk amendment that establishes the GMP. The council heard a description of how the GMP is a “locked in” price for the scope bid at that time and that adjustments occur only via documented change orders for added scope or unforeseen conditions: “It is a locked in value based on the scope of work at the time we went out to bid,” a Gilbane representative said.

Next steps: Project staff said they will present reconciled estimates and more detail at the council’s first September meeting and that the second, larger GMP for the remainder of the project is expected in November. The council approved the early GMP and related contract actions during the meeting.

Who said what (selected): Kate Turner, LeftField: “We are anticipating starting construction towards the September this year and finalizing construction at the end of the summer for 2027.” Gilbane (Frank Gallucci): described prequalification and bidding steps and defended the recommended awards. Kate Masnanti, chair of the school building committee: the committee recommended the award package to the council.

What remains uncertain: The RPDES permit timing and any future trade packages that remain to be bid; change orders are expected for a project of this size and staff said they plan to manage contingencies through a 5% owner’s contingency outside the GMP.