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Staff recommends design-bid-build for Weaver Street Public Safety/CTE redevelopment; board concurs
Summary
County staff recommended Design-Bid-Build as the preferred delivery method for redevelopment of the former Mod U Kraf property (Weaver Street) to house public safety and CTE functions, citing financial transparency and opportunities for local contractors; the board reached consensus to pursue DBB and staff will seek formal approval in June.
County staff on May 21 recommended that Franklin County pursue a Design-Bid-Build (DBB) delivery method for redevelopment of the former Mod U Kraf property on Weaver Street to house public safety and career and technical education (CTE) space.
Assistant County Administrator Brandy Rosser summarized recent project activity: site cleanup is ongoing and staff have removed about 240 tons of material using Sheriff's Office trustees under a lease with Southern Heritage Homes. Staff also reported interviews with five general contractors, six architects and two owner’s representatives while evaluating four delivery strategies: Design-Bid-Build (DBB), Design-Build (DB), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) and a PPEA option.
Rosser recommended DBB, saying it offered the most transparent competitive pricing and the best opportunity for local subcontractors while allowing the county to manage scope and budget closely. "It is the best way to be good stewards with taxpayer money and financially transparent," Rosser said. The staff memo and presentations reviewed advantages and disadvantages of CMAR (including earlier contractor input and the potential for a Guaranteed Maximum Price) and DB (contractor-led design contracting), and identified risk-mitigation steps for DBB such as prequalification of contractors, hiring an owner's representative and maintaining a healthy contingency.
Board members discussed the need for due diligence, schematic design flexibility, coordination with the school system and adherence to Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) standards for the CTE elements. Staff said they will draft an RFP for architecture and engineering services and return to the board in June to request formal approval of the procurement strategy.
Other matters: staff noted the potential timing of a referendum on a 1% sales tax for school capital projects and recommended coordination with Economic Development on facility programming. The board reached consensus to proceed with DBB; formal procurement steps and any contract awards will require future board action.
Next steps: staff will prepare an RFP for A/E services, develop risk-mitigation measures (prequalification, owner's representative, contingency) and present a formal procurement request at the June meeting.
