Council votes to terminate makerspace design contract, pauses further action to evaluate combining facilities

Johns Creek's city council on March 2 approved termination of the existing design'build contract with MAPP for the Cauley/Cawley Creek Makerspace after staff reported that permitting revealed the proposal did not fully account for assembly-space code requirements and could produce a potential change order in excess of $500,000. Assistant City Manager Haggard introduced the item, saying the termination would allow the city to secure completed design work, retain an on'call architect for fully compliant plans, and then rebid with clearer requirements and cost certainty. "Here tonight to request formal action to terminate the existing design build contract with MAPP for the Cauley Creek Makerspace," Haggard said.

After the primary motion to terminate was made and seconded, council considered an amendment to terminate but pause staff from issuing new on'call task orders and to return with analysis on whether the makerspace could be combined with a planned recreational facility to realize economies of scale. Council members debated site constraints (floodplain and footprint concerns), possible savings from using an existing city site, and the timing for staff analysis. The amended motion—to terminate the contract but pause further staff task orders and bring back a report to the March 30 work session—passed 6'1. "So that passes 6 1," the mayor said following the vote.

Council did not record individual roll'call votes in the transcript; the tally was announced on the dais. Staff told council they are responsible for paying for work completed to date but would not proceed with a new on'call task order while the pause is in effect. Council members asked that staff provide location and cost comparisons and indicated the longer the staff has to prepare, the more detailed the analysis could be. The city will return to the March 30 work session with the requested analysis or sooner if staff are ready.

Why it matters: The makerspace has been on the council's radar for roughly two years and represents both programmatic and capital cost choices. The decision to pause and study a combined facility aims to limit additional immediate design spending while testing whether one building could serve both recreational and makerspace needs, potentially reducing construction and operating costs.