District awards architect for Gryair Center; staff schedules scope-to-budget review for August

District staff updated the Facilities Improvement & Oversight Committee on the Gryair Center for Educational Excellence, reporting the project is in programming and that DLR has been awarded the architect contract. "We've just awarded DLR as the architect," TJ Hopkins said, summarizing stakeholder meetings that incorporated previous feasibility and vision work for a center serving Black student excellence.

Staff said they expect to have scope-to-budget figures and more detailed occupancy-load counts by about August 10 to carry the project into schematic design. The team described an 18-month design window and an 18-month construction window (approximately three years total), revised from the feasibility study timetable to allow for long-lead equipment risk. Staff proposed returning to the committee in September to present their scope-to-budget findings and next steps.

Committee members expressed support for the project's movement and asked to align future updates with other advisory groups so staff do not have to present the same information multiple times. No formal votes or budget approvals occurred at this meeting; staff said they would return with more detailed financial and schedule information once the August scope-to-budget milestone is complete.

Next steps: staff will finalize scope-to-budget materials by the target date, refine occupancy/load numbers and present schematic-design recommendations at a fall committee meeting.