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Council approves submission of school design-development documents to RIDE; commissioning agent contract cleared
Summary
The council authorized the Stage 3 submittal for Frenchtown, Hannaford and East Greenwich High School designs and awarded a commissioning-agent contract as the project moves toward construction documents and early bid packages.
The East Greenwich Town Council voted unanimously to authorize the town's professional team to submit Stage 3 design-development documents for Frenchtown Elementary, Hannaford Elementary and East Greenwich High School to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) for review. Council members also approved a separate contract award for commissioning-agent services to NV5 (Andover, Massachusetts) to oversee verification that new building systems perform as designed.
Town Manager Andrew (Andy) Nada told the council the submittal follows approvals from the School Construction Committee and the School Committee and represents a step toward final construction documents and early bidding. Left Field, Consigli Construction and AI3 Architects presented design refinements, revised site plans and exterior materials for all three schools and described next-stage cost estimates and schedules.
Budget and schedule Project staff said the reconciled design-development estimate produced a lower cost at East Greenwich High School compared with the earlier Stage 2 application but showed higher costs for the two elementary schools. The meeting packet compared the Stage 2 application budget (reported as approximately $157,000,000 inclusive of Meadowbrook) against the reconciled design-development estimates and a $160,000,000 target budget. Staff reported a roughly $6.4 million gap at design development relative to the $160 million target, and they identified $1.5 million in additional targeted efficiencies and a $6.3 million estimating and escalation contingency intended to cover remaining unknowns at this design stage.
Project consultants described a two-track procurement approach: early-bid packages (structural systems, foundations, site work and long-lead equipment) to be released in the fall (October) to protect schedule, with a final guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the high school anticipated in December and for the elementary schools in January. Construction was presented as starting in January and targeting substantial completion in February of the final year with a summer move-in period.
Commissioning agent award The council approved awarding commissioning services to NV5 for an amount not to exceed $344,250, after a competitive bid process with multiple respondents. The commissioning agent will verify systems performance, review documentation and support training for operations staff per RIDE requirements.
Design highlights and neighborhood protections Design presentations showed a two-story addition and life-skills suite at the high school, mirrored elementary school plans with masonry exteriors, updated circulation to separate car and bus loops, and site changes intended to preserve green space. Staff said Frenchtown's enrollment plan was modeled at 560 students and that the project includes parking adjustments (for Frenchtown, the plan raised parking to about 90 spaces) and preservation of existing fields where feasible.
Consultants addressed neighborhood concerns: the project team has proposed third-party pre-construction home-condition surveys for roughly 75 nearby homes (surveyor to be contracted by town), vibration and noise baseline monitoring, dust-control measures (washdown stations, tarps, watering and street sweeping), and coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) for wetland verification and stormwater permitting. Staff said the team will attempt to procure three switchgear units together to improve pricing; an order for switchgear was discussed as a likely early procurement because of industry lead times, and staff estimated approximately $1,000,000 total for all three switchgear units (estimate stated by staff during the meeting).
Council next steps The council's vote authorizes the team to submit the Stage 3 package and continue work on construction documents and early procurement packages. Staff said they will present updated 60% construction documents and cost estimates in August and expected early bid results in October to inform final GMP decisions. The commissioning contract award and the initiation of early procurements were subject to legal review and additional contract terms to manage risk for the town.
