Norwich committee approves GMPs for Stanton and Greenville; awards testing and commissioning contracts

The Norwich Building Committee on May 20 approved guaranteed maximum prices for Stanton Elementary School and Greenville Elementary School and authorized related procurement contracts, the committee heard.

Committee members voted to approve the Stanton GMP after a presentation of trade bids, allowances and markups showing a final guaranteed maximum price for the Stanton project of $54,646,284. The committee later approved the Greenville GMP, presented with a total GMP value of $67,356,903. Both approvals passed by roll call votes of those present.

The committee also awarded materials-testing and special-inspection contracts and established limited contingencies to cover estimated but as‑needed testing. For Stanton the committee awarded Prime Consulting Inc. a contract of $104,939 and established a $30,061 contingency; for Greenville it awarded Testcon Incorporated at $103,206 with a $31,794 contingency. Finally, after a scoring and pricing discussion the committee approved Innovative Engineering Services as the commissioning agent for the district projects under review.

Why it matters: the GMP approvals commit the city to defined maximum construction costs, set the schedule for construction and owner move-in, and authorize the technical oversight (testing and commissioning) intended to help ensure the buildings meet contract and regulatory requirements.

Project costs, allowances and schedule Frank, the project lead from the construction team, told the committee the Stanton GMP “came in at $54,646,284,” a figure that includes trade packages, allowances, markups, bonds, insurance, contingency and staffing costs. Frank said the Stanton construction period is 17 months with a separate 12‑month demo/abatement window for the existing building; with markups and fees the presentation rounded to a comparable GMP figure and showed the bid results roughly $2.7 million under the prior construction-document (CD) budget.

For Greenville the presentation listed a total GMP of $67,356,903, with the project also coming in below its CD budget by roughly $1.2 million, the construction team reported. The Greenville package does not include a demo/abatement component but has larger site work and related unit-price allowances for conditions such as rock removal.

Allowance lines highlighted in the presentations include temporary environmental controls (heating/cooling and associated power and gas infrastructure), supplemental steel, winter-condition allowances, environmental remediation and a weekend/off‑hour supervision allowance to expedite schedule if needed. The presenters said unused allowance funds would be returned to the city rather than retained by contractors.

Schedule and moves Project staff said substantial completion for Stanton is shown in the schedule as Aug. 26, with owner furniture, fixtures, equipment and technology (FF&E/IT) move-in beginning Aug. 12. Staff noted temporary certificates of occupancy (TCOs) would govern when moves and school use could begin. For Greenville the presentation showed a December turnover window and an earlier FF&E move-in date in November.

Materials testing and inspection awards Mike, a project staff member responsible for procurement, presented the materials‑testing RFP results and recommended awarding Stanton testing to Prime Consulting Inc. at $104,939 with a $30,061 contingency so the committee would not need immediate contract amendments if actual testing needs exceeded estimates. He recommended awarding Greenville testing to Testcon Incorporated at $103,206 with a $31,794 contingency. Committee members asked about the reason for contingencies and how invoices would be validated; staff said sign‑in/sign‑out records and CSG review would be used to vet invoices before payment.

Commissioning agent selection After reviewing four proposals and committee scoring, staff noted a price-versus-score tradeoff among firms. The committee discussed prior experience with the state Office of Grants Administration (OGA, formerly OSCGR) and local references; members and staff said they had recent successful work experience with two of the higher‑scoring firms. Ultimately the committee approved Innovative Engineering Services (IES) to provide commissioning services across the projects discussed. Committee members noted commissioning work will be sequenced with construction and submittal review so the firm’s workload will be staggered across projects.

Other items from the meeting - Staff confirmed the city has been working with its insurance agent, USI Insurance Services, to secure a builder’s risk policy; staff said the policy will be procured and the cost is included in the project budget. - The presentations reiterated that state permit fees and certain state education fund fees are included in GMP calculations. - Staff said neighbor outreach and a “good neighbor” policy are being developed for the projects, including public meetings for nearby property owners about mobilization and anticipated noise or blasting for site work where applicable.

Votes at a glance - Stanton Elementary School GMP (presented as $54,646,284): motion to approve carried unanimously of those present and voting. (Motion moved by Stacy Gould; seconded by Mark Kullos; roll‑call yes votes recorded by the clerk.) - Greenville Elementary School GMP (presented as $67,356,903): motion to approve carried unanimously of those present and voting. (Motion moved by Christine DiStasio; seconded by Stacy Gould; roll‑call yes votes recorded.) - Stanton materials testing: Prime Consulting Inc., $104,939; contingency $30,061 — approved by roll call. - Greenville materials testing: Testcon Incorporated, $103,206; contingency $31,794 — approved by roll call. - Commissioning agent: Innovative Engineering Services (IES) — approved by roll call.

Looking ahead Committee members said they expect to schedule a groundbreaking and reminded attendees the next regular meeting is May 20. Staff said they will return with allowance authorizations and further schedule updates as the projects progress.