Board approves GMP 5 — structural steel package for Kings Local high school

The Kings Local Board of Education voted to approve Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 5 — the structural steel package — for the new high school after a presentation from Bill Brownback of HGC, the district’s construction manager at-risk.

Brownback told the board the structural steel package came in about $223,000 under the estimate and that, cumulatively, GMPs so far are running about $119,000 under the total estimates. He said subcontractors have been engaged and that the approved subcontractor will begin delivering material to the site next week.

Why it matters: Approving GMP 5 allows the construction team to move forward with site deliveries and keep the project schedule. Brownback said the project has issued more than 85 bid packages so far and has invited over 550 subcontractors to bid (an average of roughly six bidders per package). The team scheduled two primary bid dates — Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 — to manage the volume and timing for bringing remaining packages under contract.

Details from the presentation

- Budget and bids: Brownback said the structural steel package was $223,000 under budget; cumulative GMPs are $119,000 under to date. He cautioned that future packages (HVAC, mechanical, copper) carry market volatility risks.

- Schedule and logistics: A pre-bid walk will be held next week at the cafeteria. The team is phasing bid submission (about half the packages due by Oct. 28 and the remainder on Nov. 4) to allow time to assemble and vet bids. He flagged 5–7 packages that are critical to site activities and might be advanced sooner to keep the construction schedule on track, with a target of presenting a larger GMP package at the Nov. 18 board meeting.

- On-site progress: Brownback reported the first major concrete placement — an elevator/stair shaft — used about 125 cubic yards of concrete and that foundational work and footings are underway, with structural steel deliveries starting next week.

Board action and related items

The board approved GMP 5 on a roll-call vote after Superintendent Sears reminded members that a letter of intent was used previously to avoid a special meeting. The record shows board members responding “yes” during roll call; the vote was approved as presented.

Other construction updates

- Change orders and vetting: Assistant administrators said some early change orders reflect design tweaks and civil work (for example, sewer capacity upgrades and a camera inspection process) required to maintain schedule and avoid months of delay. Several change orders are tied to phasing decisions intended to capture favorable weather windows.

- Permitting: The board noted that the City of Mason waived about $122,000 in permitting fees related to South property permitting, saving district funds that had been budgeted for permitting.

Ending

Administrators said they will bring additional GMPs and related change orders to future meetings as bid packages are vetted; they emphasized that schedule-driven phasing and market volatility may produce further adjustments but said current packages remain under budget overall.