Ten or more architectural firms are likely to meet the minimum qualifications needed to bid for the right to design the two new schools the city plans to build soon.
That’s less than half of the 23 firms that responded to the city’s request that interested firms provide proof that they can handle the anticipated $115 million project to construct two kindergarten to eighth grade schools that will house 900 students apiece.
City Purchasing Agent Roger Rousseau said that some excellent firms fell short of meeting the standards because the city said only architects that have already done at least three $20 million construction projects would be considered.
Some “didn’t meet the bar that we had set,” Rousseau said, despite strong tracks records on other projects.
Those that are ultimately accepted as qualified bidders will receive detailed school proposals and will be asked to name their price to do the work, officials said Monday.
Whichever of the qualified firms offers to do it for the least money will get the nod, they said.
William Smyth, the assistant superintendent for business, said that a new state law leaves no alternative.
In the past, officials were allowed to interview prospective architects and find one that combined the best blend of price and compatibility.
The new law, said Board of Finance member Don Soucy, is ridiculous.
Smyth and Rousseau said there are efforts underway to convince lawmakers to revise it, but they are unlikely to make headway soon enough to change the selection method for the two schools.The city plans to ask the qualified architects to give a price to do each school separately and a price to do both projects. That way, Rousseau said, officials can decide whether it’s better to have a single firm do both schools or if dividing the work is best.
The city is looking to build 121,600-square-foot schools in Forestville and West Bristol. They would open by 2012 unless plans are derailed.
The Board of Education intends to shut down four older schools when the new ones open. Memorial Boulevard Middle School and three older primary schools would close: O’Connell, Bingham and Greene-Hills.
Before deciding which architecture firms can bid, a number of officials are reading through a two-foot pile of applications from contending firms.
Smyth said it is “a tedious job,” but necessary.
“I could never do that, all that reading,” said city Councilor Ken Cockayne, expressing happiness that he’s not on the subcommittee weeding through the material.
The subcommittees for both the West Bristol and Forestville school building committees will report the qualified bidders within a few weeks, officials said, after which bids will be sought.
“Well, now the hard part starts,” Soucy said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
1 comment:
First we weed through the responses. Then we recommend the firms that are qualified.
Then we select one or two firms.
Then they start to design buildings to go on land that we have not yet analyzed for environmental impacts, and not yet negotiated a purchase price. We still don’t know what environmental testing or remediation might be required.
We still don’t know if these will be friendly acquisitions or takings by eminent domain.
Then we pay the architects to determine the level of deficiencies in the surrounding infrastructure and we can then fully estimate the total cost of each project?
Once those numbers have been jammed down the taxpayers throats; the claim will be, “We already spent $10m million on architects so we can’t turn back now over a measly few more millions.”
This is a fatal step down a slippery slope from which there is no return. Once the architects are hired it is time for the taxpayers to lube up because we got a big one coming and no way to turn back.
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