RFQ/P027-07 New Pulaski School

The City of Meriden is requesting qualifications and proposals from qualified firms to provide comprehensive project management and owner’s representative services to the Meriden Public School. This will include the planning, design, construction, and closeout of a project for the construction of the new Casimir Pulaski Elementary School and grounds at 1 King Place, Meriden, Connecticut 06451.

**Please see Attachment A and download entire RFQ/P027-07 with complete instructions**

In 2019 the District undertook a professional study of the physical condition of the existing Casimir Pulaski Elementary School building and grounds located at 100 Clearview Ave, Meriden, CT 06450, to evaluate the adequacy of the building and grounds for potential expansion to meet the needs of the District. Through that study, it was determined that there is little or no site expansion capacity, and that the existing building interior was in need of significant renovations if to continue being used to for the District’s elementary education programs, such that the Casimir Elementary School should be considered for expansion on a different site in that would accommodate increasing student enrollment, as well as preschool and special educational programs.

After a multi-year project planning process, it was ultimately determined that the City and District would be best served if a new Casimir Elementary School building and grounds are constructed at a new location, the City and District are proceeding with this Project for the construction of a new Casimir Pulaski Elementary School building and grounds (the “Elementary School”) at site of the former Meriden Wallingford Hospital at 1 King Place, Meriden, Connecticut.

The design of the Project is presently in the conceptual phase, and the City and District anticipate that the design will be further developed to include a school building and grounds that, as constructed, is a safe, modern, code-compliance educational facility that supports the District’s educational program, and which:

• Creates learning environments designed for current instructional strategies as captured in Meriden’s core mission and goals;
• Benefits from needed technology upgrades;
• Complies with current building and fire codes;
• Incorporates contemporary design for school safety;
• Utilizes modern, efficient heating and cooling systems; and
• Provides accessibility to all by meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Project is anticipated to include environmental cleanup of the site and demolition of the former Meriden Wallingford hospital building before proceeding to construction of a new two-story Elementary School building and grounds, that will host grades pre-kindergarten through fifth, and the District’s STARS district-wide special education program. The new Elementary School will serve an eight-year peak projected enrollment of 706 students, and is anticipated to have an estimated gross building square footage area of up to 97,100 square feet, including an estimated program area of 69,525 square feet for all educational program areas and administrative spaces. The building design for the Project may incorporate sustainable energy strategies, including “net zero” geothermal heating and cooling, rooftop solar, and mechanical and building envelop design, that may be accommodated with the Project’s construction budget.

Other key components of the Project will include:

• Education design with flexible and adaptable learning spaces for that create collaborative elementary learning environment;
• A gymnasium area that serve as a stage area for school assemblies, performances and other events and will be accessible from the gymnasium and main corridors;
• Extensive, varied, ADA-compliant outside play areas for kindergarten, early elementary, and intermediate levels, which accommodate activities with space demands ranging from the minimal individual/partner play to larger areas needed for play team activities.
• State funding from a school building project priority list grant, through CTDAS, with a reimbursement rate of 90%.

Additional information is provided in the District’s Educational Specifications for the Project.

The project delivery method for this Project will be a “construction manager at-risk” (“CMR”) for the Project, pursuant to a construction management agreement with a guaranteed maximum price (“GMP”). In addition to the retaining the selected Proposer as the Owner’s OPM and
Owner’s Representative for the Project, the City will obtain a design professional firm who, together with its subconsultants, will be the Project’s Architect-of-Record and who, together with its subconsultants will be the Project design team for the Project (“Architect”), and will provide
all architecture and design services (except those to be provided by other consultants directly engaged by the City), as well as other project and construction administration services. The City intends to retain the following additional professionals and consultants for the Project: a
commissioning agent; if required for the Project a third-party envelope consultant to review design documents and to perform building envelope inspections and testing; if required for the Project, a third-party independent code consultant; if required for the Project, a third-party
consultant to perform stormwater monitoring and related services; and the CMR for the Project. All design professional and consultant services required for the Project, other than services by the OPM, CMR, commissioning agent, third-party envelope consultant, third-party code
consultant, and third-party consultant for stormwater monitoring, are anticipated by the City to be provided by the Architect and its subconsultants, including without limitation, the following to the extent each is required for the Project: structural engineering; mechanical engineering;
electrical engineering; plumbing engineer; fire protection engineering; civil engineering; land survey; landscape design; geotechnical engineering, for services inclusive of inspections of footings, and as needed, for survey and borings consulting; materials testing laboratory and inspection services (during construction); cost estimating; furniture, fixtures and equipment (“FF&E”) design; lighting design; kitchen food services design; security, technology, data and communications design; acoustical design; and sustainability consulting.

It is anticipated that the Project will be partially funded by a school building project priority list grant from the State of Connecticut through CTDAS, which grant will cover construction costs eligible for grant financial assistance for the construction of the Project.

The present total Project budget includes the approximate amount of $101,211,813 for the potential cost of construction of the Project, inclusive of: $16,310,600 for contaminated soil excavation, hazmat removal prior to demolition of the existing former hospital building at the Project site, and demolition of the hospital building and existing parking garage; design and construction contingencies; and potential escalation costs. The portion of the total Project budget allocated to FF&E is approximately $1,083,260, inclusive of costs for items including but not limited to furniture, fixtures, food service equipment, A/V equipment, theater and stage equipment, athletic equipment, and window treatments, and other associated equipment as selected by the City and SBC.