This report includes an update on neighbor relations, details related to a project summary, COVID-19 impact report, construction budget and second bid period planning.
Neighbor Relations:
There have been minimal impacts / discussions with the neighbors. We remain cognizant of noise concerns relative to work hour activities. This will be scrutinized more closely as the exterior work / additions commence. And residence will start to open their windows as the weather improves.
Project Summary Information:
Spring Work
We have mobilized trailers to all three schools and have staff on site. We have started the procurement process of getting material orders in place. Our Project Engineering Staff is doing a great job of working with the Bid Period No. 1 Prime Trade Contractors to expedite this process.
We are doing our on boarding process with all Prime Trade Contractors. This includes a Site-Specific Safety Meeting for each firm as well as a Quality Control Start Meeting. This is our way to set expectation relative to safety at the District’s facilities and review / ask questions relative to the quality / components of the work being installed.
Temporary Walls, Abatement and Demolition Activities are ongoing at Maine South and Maine West as previously scheduled. Close coordination by the District and TEM allowed for Abatement to proceed smoothly despite the Shelter in Place Order. There are other instances where projects paused for several days to confirm what is deemed essential whereas the District / TEM were able to clarify this in advance of Executive Order.
Maine East: No work has commenced and nor was worked schedule to commence prior to summer.
Maine South: Temporary Walls have been erected and demolition activities have commenced which will lead to Abatement activities as planned.
Maine West: Spring Break Abatement is complete and demolition activities have commenced.
COVID-19 Impacts:
Weekly Owner / Architect / Contractor Coordination has transitioned to Google Meetings for all meetings & activities. These remain as productive as they were in person.
Pepper Construction Company has provided the District with our COVID 19 Prevention Plan as well as supporting information relative to Social Distancing.
Over the last week we have developed a plan to temperature screen all individuals entering the Maine South and Maine West. This Screening Plan includes a 3rd Party Screening Company and is in operation from 6:30AM to 9:30AM. This allows us to provide an additional step in ensuring that individuals entering District facilities do not show sign of fever. Also creates a restricted access policy at these facilities which gives the individuals working their better feeling that the others in that facility are not showing a sign of sickness. This has been an immense amount of coordination with the District over the last week and we appreciate their efforts to rolling out this plan.
As indicated under the Project Summary we are currently working on material procurement and largest part of this is determining what material are / maybe impacted by the Pandemic. Not all our materials are produced in Illinois so we are tracking oversees products as well as products out of state where those state may have deemed construction and construction support Non-Essential. And when / if these roadblocks are presented, we will develop options / contingency plans.
With the extension of the Shelter in Place Order to April 30 we have not yet started any additional work besides that work that was previously planned for Spring Break Starts.
Wight & Company are currently expediting the balance of our permits from the State as well as MWRD. Until such Permit Dates become known it is difficult to plan additional activities.
Construction Budget:
Through the April 6, 2020 Meeting, the Board has been presented approximately $79,000,000 worth of commitments against the project which includes contingencies associated with the 1st Bid Period.
We will have bid opening for Ceramic Tile, Moving, Plumbing and Roofing in late April for presentation to the Board in May.
Bid Period No. 2 Design
Wight and Company is well underway in design of the balance of the work which will become Bid Period No. 2. Focus Group Meetings will commence in mid-April and wrap up in May. The Design Development Package will be issued in mid-June and PCC will provide an estimate update in late July for District Review.
Current Milestone is that we have early BP2 packages starting in late August with majority of work being issued for bid November 1, 2020.