CSISD board approves construction manager‑at‑risk procurement for new central office

The College Station Independent School District board approved using a construction manager‑at‑risk (CMAR) procurement method for the construction of a new central office on district‑owned land after a workshop presentation and a unanimous vote.

Mr. Buckner presented site and procurement background, saying the district initially sought to renovate existing buildings but pivoted to building on land it already owns near Sylvester Road because candidate properties had structural and floodplain issues. "So we're asking for that to go to Construction Manager at Risk for the building of the new central office," he said, citing the ability of a construction manager to provide continuous budget updates during design amid tariffs and post‑2020 market volatility.

Mr. Buckner identified an estimated construction budget of $25,400,000 and a tentative schedule: release procurement documents immediately if the board approved, select a construction manager in January, and target a July–August 2026 groundbreaking with an approximately 18‑month construction period.

A motion to adopt CMAR as the procurement method was made by Ms. Simmons and seconded by Ms. Iggy; after a short clarification about how many tracts of land the district would retain, the board voted "Aye" and the presiding officer announced, "Motion carries 7 0."

The board did not specify contract terms or the selected construction manager during the workshop; staff said procurement would return to the board for approval once a manager is identified. The administration also discussed renovation of the existing administration building's front portion to repurpose space and the planned timing for department relocations.

Next steps listed by staff included releasing CMAR procurement documents, returning with a recommended construction manager for board approval in January, and continuing design and budget monitoring through the selection process.