School hires construction management

Talk about it

Although a referendum hasn’t been passed and a new high school is still a proposed project, a contract with a construction management firm has been finalized.

At Monday night’s regular meeting, members of the Alexandria School District 206 board of directors approved a contract agreement with Kraus-Anderson Construction Company for construction management services for the possible new high school project. The agreement is for $1.8 million.

Paul Ringdahl with Ringdahl Architects spoke to the board about the contract, noting that, “We got what we asked for,” and that it was a reduction of about $50,000 from the original proposal.

Ringdahl informed school board members and administrators that the agreement is a 24-month contract and that if the company is still working on the project after that time, there will be no additional charge. The $1.8 million is a “lump sum” for the 24-month period.

Ringdahl also noted that the construction management agreement closely mirrors the architectural agreement.

Kraus-Anderson has extensive experience in school construction, successfully completing more than 275 pre-kindergarten-12th grade schools for numerous school districts in Minnesota, according to school leaders.

The firm is currently ranked 15th nationally in K-12 educational facilities construction by Building Design and Construction, along with being ranked consistently among the top Green Contractors in the U.S. by Engineering News Record for sustainable design and construction.

Some of the firm’s recent projects include high schools in Two Harbors, Moorhead, Elk River and Spring Lake Park.

Under the terms of the approved contract, Kraus-Anderson will provide construction management services comprised of, but not limited to, the following:

•Pre-construction planning that engages school and community stakeholders.

•Master project schedule and pre-plan project phasing and sequencing.

•Best value procurement that allows for competitive bids and local contractor participation.

•Quality management in the areas of planning, assurance and control.

•Post construction services to ensure follow through on pre-identified completion and closeout tasks.

Phase II of the district’s long-range facility improvement plan addresses critical needs at Jefferson High School, proposing a referendum for a new school to coincide with retirement of existing bond debt payments for Discovery Middle School, according to school leaders.

Tags: local news, school district 206, school board, construction management, news, school, money