Waterford board hears $33.31 million community center update; GMP to be presented May 11

Plante Moran Realpoint’s owners representative, Robert Stempien, told the Waterford Township Board on Feb. 23 that the proposed Community Center project budget is $33,310,000, and described the major cost components and next steps.

Stempien said the budget includes $26,640,000 for the cost of work (building, demolition, sitework and athletic fields), $1,275,000 for fixtures, furniture and equipment, $2,963,100 for professional fees (including legal, architect Neumann/Smith, environmental testing and commissioning) and a $2,431,900 owner-controlled contingency to address market fluctuations and unforeseen conditions. He said the team has hired an environmental consultant to assess buildings for asbestos and will bid abatement work as needed. Geotechnical soil borings will determine foundation capacity in areas of future construction, and the project has selected an ISCG furniture designer; commissioning and material-testing consultants remain to be procured.

Stempien walked through the schedule: schematic design and estimate were approved Sept. 22, 2025; design development and estimate were approved Dec. 10, 2025; construction-document development is underway with a 90% construction-document estimate expected March 16, 2026; documents will be issued for bid March 20; and a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) will be presented to the Board on May 11, 2026.

Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta and Board members asked questions about abatement, testing and procurement timelines; Stempien answered that including contract terms with RFPs will help expedite vendor selection. No formal Board action was taken; the presentation sets the timeline for bidding and the GMP review in May.