The Buena Vista City Council and School Board’s joint facilities committee took a key procedural step Wednesday, March 4, toward advancing plans for a combined middle and high school campus, agreeing to begin the process of hiring architectural services and reviewing construction delivery methods for the project.
During the meeting, representatives from RRMM Architects presented an overview of the four construction delivery methods available to public bodies in Virginia, outlining the advantages and challenges of each approach as the city and school division prepare to move forward with the project.
The committee agreed that the next step will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to hire an architectural and engineering firm to design the project. That firm would then help the city and school division develop more detailed plans and assist with selecting a contractor.
RRMM principal Chris Phillips told the committee that hiring an architect through the RFP process is required before major design work can begin and before a final construction method can be selected.
“The first thing you need to do, and do it as quickly as you can, is select an architect and get them under agreement for services for design,” Phillips said. “Do not go past schematic design until you all come to a collective decision on which construction method you’re going to use.”
Phillips said the procurement process typically involves about 30 days for advertising proposals and another month for evaluating submissions and negotiating a contract.
Phillips walked committee members through the four construction delivery methods allowed under Virginia law: design-bid-build, design-build, Public-Private Education Act (PPEA), and Construction Manager- at-Risk (CMAR).
The traditional design-bid-build method involves the owner hiring an architect to design a project before contractors submit bids, with the lowest responsible bidder receiving the construction contract.
Another option is design-build, in which a contractor and architect operate as a team under a single contract.
The PPEA process, a variation of design-build, allows private teams to submit proposals to design and construct projects, sometimes including financing arrangements.
Phillips said the fourth option, Construction Manager-at-Risk, has become increasingly common for complex school construction projects and may be particularly suited to Buena Vista’s situation.
Under the CMAR approach, the school division would hold separate contracts with both the architect and the construction manager. The construction manager joins the project early in the design process, providing cost estimates and construction planning while design work continues.
Phillips said the process allows project costs to be established earlier through a Guaranteed Maximum Price, which sets a ceiling on construction costs unless the project scope changes.
“You know exactly what the project is going to cost,” he said. “There are no surprises.”
The approach also allows architects, contractors and project stakeholders to collaborate during design to address challenges such as phasing construction around an operating school.
Phillips noted that the complexity of Buena Vista’s project, which involves renovating and expanding the high school while the building remains in use, could make CMAR an appropriate option.
“My personal opinion right now is that the best way to deliver this project — that gives you assurance it’s well coordinated, within budget and done in a timely way — is the CMAR process,” Phillips said.
Committee members indicated support for exploring that approach but emphasized that no final decision has been made.
If the city and school division proceed with the CMAR process, the architect selected through the upcoming RFP would help prepare a second RFP to hire a construction manager.
That construction manager would then work alongside the design team and school officials as the project moves through schematic design and detailed planning.
Phillips said the process of selecting an architect typically takes 60 to 90 days, followed by several weeks of preliminary design work.
Committee members agreed the immediate priority is beginning the architectural selection process so design work can move forward.
The vote to move forward with the project is expected to take place at the next Buena Vista School Board meeting, which will also include a public hearing on the subject, on March 26 at the Ramsey Center.
