RFP Design - Architectural Services for Central Middle School

https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/education/article/greenwich-bet-guts-ogs-construction-budget-17880069.php April 05, 2023 GREENWICH -- With a tie-breaking vote, the Board of Estimate and Taxation denied the Old Greenwich School renovation project's construction budget, ultimately postponing the start of construction for at least another year. After spending all day Tuesday going over the 2023-24 proposed budget, the BET failed to fully fund the construction budget by a 7-6 vote. "We're obviously disappointed that the BET delayed the OGS renovation for another year," said James Waters, chair of the OGS building committee. "We have communicated that we will be ready to start construction in the spring of 2024 if construction funding was provided -- and it was not provided. So, we were all disappointed, I think, and residents of Old Greenwich are disappointed, of course, that once again, we're delayed another year." BET Member Stephen Selbst made the motion to fund the OGS construction for $34.9 million. Waters presented budget numbers to the Board of Education on March 16 that included the funds needed for architectural and engineering designs. Selbst's number only includes construction funding. Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation cuts Central Middle School budget Selbst's motion had conditions, including that OGS construction be funded at $34.9 million if the Central Middle School building committee does not submit "a funding request or a funding proposal to the State of Connecticut by June 20." "What this does is leaves open the possibility for funding Old Greenwich School if, -- as I fear, not because I wish, but as I fear -- CMS doesn't get there," Selbst said. "This preserves for this board every inch of the flexibility that it has asked for and also solves some of the issues that we've now been talking about for the last hour which are the possibility of duplicative work or unnecessary work." BET members who voted against the motion said it was because they wanted solid cost estimates for the construction project. "There's a possibility in a couple months, maybe a few months, we're going to have far better cost estimates, particularly from the building committee itself given the work they're doing," said BET Chairman Dan Ozizmir. "I think at that point ... When they have a proposal with accurate numbers and understand the context of what a new school costs, then we will take that information." "The community is going to remember this vote," Selbst said, when the motion failed. The BET did pass a motion 9-1, with two abstentions, to appropriate $1.085 million to complete the A&E designs for the renovation of OGS. The motion, made by Ozizmir, came with three conditions, including completing a BET independent estimate of the partial renovation of the current school versus a new school building. Old Greenwich community members have begged officials not to build a new school, which, according to the condition, must be 72,000 gross square feet, whether at the same location or elsewhere on the site. The BET has already appropriated $1 million in 2023 for A&E designs. The additional $1.085 million is to complete the pre-construction process, said Ozizmir. Along with the additional A&E funds, Arora made a motion to appropriate just over $1.003 million to go toward Americans with Disabilities Act compliance projects at OGS, including installing a three-stop elevator, a ramp and lift in the lower area of the ground floor and ADA bathrooms on all levels of the school. "There are some who are going to say that providing for these now is an attempt to delay the overall renovation," Arora said. "The reason we accelerate and provide this separately is to underline our values and the commitment of this budget to our values." Arora added that elevators are on backorder for at least 24 months. The motion passed 9-3. Selbst, who is on the OGS building committee, voted in favor of the motion but said he was afraid it would be a temporary fix. "So if the BET determines to approve this, I think they should do it with eyes wide open that you are likely to both approve some work that is likely to come down when the full project is being done and secondly that you have added to the cost on an incremental basis," Selbst said. Lastly, the BET tackled sewage flooding in OGS, with Arora putting a motion on the table of allocating $500,000 to fix the problem. The motion passed 7-5. BET Member Harry Fisher called the sewage flooding the worst "embarrassment this town could ever have." Those who voted against the motion said that renovating the school would solve the sewage flooding. "I have no idea where this $500,000 comes from," said BET Member Miriam Kreuzer. "There's no back up. There's no information. This feels like a 'let them eat cake' motion and so did (the ADA motion). Both of these are covered in the full building ed specs of renovating this building ... The action is (to) approve moving forward with the building. That not only solves these issues, but that gives that school deserving of a more modern school that is able to meet its desires." Even though the BET did not fully fund the renovation project's construction budget, Waters said the building committee "will continue to urgently prepare for the OGS renovation." "We intend to complete the schematic design process in June and then move into design development and local land use approvals this summer and into the fall," Waters said. "The Old Greenwich community can rest assured that we will do everything we can to get this project done, even if the BET hasn't fully funded the project. At some point, we hope the BET will realize how important this project is to the community -- and to other school projects that are being delayed as a result." _____________________________________________ The Project consists of design and new construction of a new School.

Division 01 -	General Requirements.
Division 03 -	Concrete.
Division 04 -	Masonry.
Division 05 -	Metals.
Division 06 -	Wood, Plastics, and Composites.
Division 07 -	Thermal and Moisture Protection.
Division 08 -	Openings.
Division 09 -	Finishes.
Division 10 -	Specialties.
Division 11 -	Equipment.
Division 13 -	Special Construction.
Division 21 -	Fire Suppression.
Division 22 -	Plumbing.
Division 23 -	Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC).
Division 25 -	Integrated Automation.
Division 26 -	Electrical.
Division 27 -	Communications.