School building committee forms subcommittee to vet construction‑manager proposals, sets September target for estimates

The McDonough School Building Committee voted June 9 to form a subcommittee to review responses to its request for proposals (RFP) for a construction manager and to conduct interviews, officials said.

The Chair told members that “we have a couple, folks who have responded to our RFP for construction manager” and said the subcommittee will “review the proposals, start to put together scoring for them, and to also conduct interviews on the folks that we think are a good fit.” The committee approved the nominated subcommittee by voice vote so the group could begin work immediately.

Why it matters: The subcommittee is intended to speed selection of a construction manager who can provide cost estimates in time for the project’s schematic design milestone. Staff and the architect said the project team is targeting completion of a schematic design package suitable for estimating in September and an estimate‑informed schematic review in October, which would then feed into later council approvals.

What the committee approved: The Chair nominated a slate that included three council members (the slate as announced included Councilwoman Fulton and Councilwoman Linda Salafia), two public committee volunteers (Harold and Molly Carter) and staff liaisons; the committee voted to approve the slate so interviews and evaluation can begin. The motion to form the subcommittee passed by a recorded voice vote of those present.

Schedule and next steps: A staff member recommended finishing interviews before the end of the month if possible, saying “my recommendation would be to have them done before the month is over,” otherwise to hold a special meeting in early July so the F and G committee and full council review can occur in August. The staff member said that after the subcommittee makes a recommendation, the matter will go through the council process for approval, which will add roughly a month to the contract start timeline.

Architect and technical work: The architect told the committee they had released several consultants to begin background work. “As of this morning, I released some of my consultants to get going,” the architect said, and specifically mentioned an environmental consultant to sample for hazardous materials and a laser‑scanning firm to create a 3‑D model of the building’s original portion, for which the team lacks reliable drawings. The architect advised delaying surveyor work until the committee decides whether to acquire any adjacent properties to include in the survey scope.

Interview logistics: Staff said the procurement team expects three applicants and that interviews are typically scheduled on a single day with roughly 45 minutes per firm; members discussed options for daytime and evening scheduling to accommodate participation. Several members volunteered to serve on the subcommittee so that interviews can be scheduled quickly.

Documents and outreach: Staff said the RFP documents were emailed to committee members with links to the city’s Box folder and offered to help members who have trouble opening the files. The Chair also said the committee will add an agenda item at the next regular meeting to discuss property acquisition options and to hear community input on the project vision.

What’s next: The subcommittee will convene to agree questions and interview logistics, hold interviews of the three applicants, and report a recommendation to the full committee. If the subcommittee cannot complete work before the next regular meeting, staff said a special meeting in early July is possible to keep the schedule that would allow council review for an August decision and a September start on estimator work.