The New Kennett Middle School Recreation Center Surpasses Expectations!
Image – Conway Daily Sun, JAMIE GIMMITI PHOTO
Combining ingenuity and multiple levels of cooperation, a much-needed municipal construction project with a firmly limited budget recently came to completion beyond the community’s expectations. Meridian Construction happened to be the lowest bidder of several firms invited to bid. Even so, the bid price exceeded the total budget available and there were no other funding sources.
When we considered the significant gap between the budget ceiling and our bid, we put our heads together and asked, “How can we deliver the project results desired within a budget that doesn’t meet our pricing requirements?” For Meridian, the question isn’t about working around the margins. It’s about the ingenuity to reimagine every part of the construction plan, determine what is absolutely necessary and find ways to satisfy our client’s needs within the financial limits.
The Prudent Approach
With a significant gap in funding and total project cost, mutual concessions would have to be made or the project couldn’t be completed. We just had to make it work! And when your client and the community are eager to collaborate, great results follow, just like they did in Conway!
We put our heads together with town officials and the building facilities manager to determine how we could save money. After carefully reviewing the current and proposed mechanical systems (HVAC, plumbing & electrical) we sought the expert opinions of the engineers and maintenance team. Collaboratively, we determined that significant savings could be achieved by de-scoping the mechanical systems specified in the RFP. This prudent innovation closed the cost gap and enabled the project to proceed at full steam. We were then free to focus our efforts on the most important features of a new Gym and Recreation Center such as:
- New basketball court with polished hardwood floor
- New backboards & hoops
- Protective gym wall padding
- Brighter and more efficient LED lighting
- New collapsible bleacher seats
- Energy-efficient windows
Image – Conway Daily Sun, JAMIE GIMMITI PHOTO
As reported in the Conway Daily Sun, the official citation by Governor Sununu states, “The new facility offers programs for people of all ages and interests and benefits people throughout the community.”
Town Manager Tom Holmes praised Meridian Construction for being a good building partner. “I know they worked early mornings, late nights and weekends without compensation.”
It was truly gratifying for us to work with the Town of Conway and Kennett Middle School. Their close cooperation enabled us to discover a way forward in a constrained budget with results that exceeded quality expectations. We learned once again that an open-minded, innovative approach combined with a spirit of collaboration will result in happy clients and enhanced community assets.
Outstanding job, but it would be nice to mention the Architectural team. (if one was involved developing the design / value engineering package)