The Houston Independent School District is requesting qualifications from general contracting companies interested in providing Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for 22 school and athletic facility projects within the 2012 bond program.
The CMAR contracts that will be awarded represent more than $1 billion in school construction work and are likely to draw national interest. Only one CMAR will be selected per project, but a company may submit qualifications for more than one project.
“These contracts are vital to ensuring a construction program that delivers quality work within budget and on schedule,” said HISD’s Officer of Construction and Facilities Services Robert L. Sands Jr. “We hope this RFQ will bring us general contractors who know how to collaborate, innovate and come up with the best construction solutions.”
The projects include Bellaire High School, Condit Elementary School, Davis High School, DeBakey High School for Health Professions, Dowling Middle School, Eastwood Academy, Furr High School, Grady Middle School, the High School for The Performing and Visual Arts, Lamar High School, High School for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice, Lee High School, Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School, Milby High School, Parker Elementary School, Relief Elementary School, Sharpstown High School, Sterling High School, Washington High School, Yates High School, Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy and district-wide athletic facility upgrades.
Utilizing the CMAR contracting method helps HISD ensure a quality project by increasing coordination with the design team and establishing a guaranteed maximum price for construction, minimizing the potential for problems such as cost overruns.
CMAR also allows greater potential for subcontracting specialized work, increasing the number of potential business opportunities with the district. Most of the 2012 bond program projects will be assigned CMARs due to the nature and complexity of the projects.
The deadline for submitting a CMAR proposal is 2 p.m. on Aug. 22 in the Board Services office at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, Texas 77092.
A pre-submittal conference will be held in the Board Auditorium, also at Hattie Mae White, on Aug. 5 at 4:30 p.m. Submissions prior to that conference are not recommended and could lead to rejection by HISD.
The district will evaluate companies on a variety of criteria, including corporate qualifications, relevant experience, safety record, M/WBE participation plan and compliance record, construction methodology and phasing strategy, personnel and financial stability. The district will then select qualified companies for further evaluation and request cost proposals for construction services.