Commission approves $6.9 million GMP for Mid‑County Regional Library hurricane repairs and atrium enclosure

Charlotte County commissioners voted Jan. 14 to approve Amendment 4 to the construction manager‑at‑risk contract for Hurricane Ian recovery work on mid‑county facilities, authorizing a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) that the county reported at about $6.9 million for the Mid‑County Regional Library repairs and related improvements.

Purchasing manager Kim Corbett introduced the request as the next phase of Ian recovery work; the GMP brought forward covers hurricane‑related repairs plus a set of additional, previously planned improvements identified in the contract attachment. Facilities Director Travis Purdue told commissioners the GMP schedule lists final completion in January 2026 and said "there's substantial completion gained ahead of that." The board approved the amendment 4–0; commissioners recorded Commissioner Truax as absent for the vote.

Scope and cost: The GMP covers roughly $3.7 million in direct hurricane repairs plus other items and a breakout that includes an approximately $780,000 line item to enclose the library’s atrium; Corbett and Purdue said the atrium figure includes about $200,000 for design and roughly $500,000 for construction. The broader GMP also incorporates some capital maintenance items staff intended to do before Ian.

Funding: Staff said the majority of the hurricane repair element is expected to follow the county’s insurance and FEMA reimbursement process; however, non‑reimbursable improvements — including the atrium enclosure — will require county funding. Purdue said about $1.2 million of the non‑reimbursable work would come from the general fund and other county capital resources, while $3.7 million of direct hurricane repair costs are being processed for reimbursement.

Timeline and programmatic rationale: Purdue said the atrium enclosure converts previously underused, leak‑prone space into usable program space. "The atrium is broken out in the white paper at 780,000, and that includes the design of roughly 200,000," Purdue said. County staff expect phased substantial completion ahead of final warranty/closeout; the contract sets January 2026 as the final completion target.

Board action and next steps: The board approved the GMP amendment as presented. Staff will proceed with the GMP work and manage reimbursements and capital accounting through facilities, insurance and the county’s FEMA coordination efforts.

Ending: With approval, county staff said construction can proceed under the CM‑at‑risk contract and that the atrium work was included to realize programmatic benefits while the building is shut for repairs.