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Owner-rep firm tells board it has 97% bond passage rate and outlines potential savings
Summary
Nicole Blocker of Plant Moran/RealPoint told the Ferndale board the firm has a 97% bond-passage success rate over the last decade, said it can scale to Ferndale's size, and described market changes since COVID, opportunities to realize savings through procurement and owner-rep oversight, and typical risks (labor, supply-chain) that affect project costs.
Nicole Blocker, a principal with Plant Moran/RealPoint, told the school board that her firm has “a 97%” success rate helping districts pass bonds over the last 10 years and described how an owner-representative can support a capital campaign and construction program.
Blocker said the firm serves districts across a wide size range and evaluates projects by capital budget and complexity, not only enrollment: “our sweet spot is about $25 million to $50 million or more,” she said, but added her team also works on much larger and smaller programs. She told the board Plant Moran has staff and processes to advise on procurement, contract language, value engineering, monthly budget tracking and early coordination with architects and construction managers.
In response to board questions, Blocker described post-COVID market changes—labor shortages, supply-chain disruption and material cost escalation—and highlighted opportunities for savings when a third-party owner rep uses market knowledge to negotiate scope and track change orders. She cited a recent Southfield engagement where the owner-rep role helped shorten a schedule and identify $20 million in savings by changing scope and sequencing.
Blocker also reviewed typical steps in the firm's approach: assessing district goals and budget, aligning architects and construction managers to the goals, managing procurement to avoid inconsistent bids, and monitoring escalation and contingency. She stated Plant Moran does not make decisions for the district but acts as an advisor to help the district control schedule and budget.
Why it matters: The firm's presentation matters if the district pursues bond financing for facilities: an owner's representative can influence procurement strategy, the structure of bids and change-order management, potentially lowering costs or constraining overruns.
What to watch next: Board members noted the resolution to begin preliminary qualification to issue bonds; the district will continue vetting firms and discussing the bond timeline and election details in January and during committee meetings.
