OSU/A&M Regents Approve Construction Management Approach for Football Stadium Project
Natalea Watkins
Communications Specialist
Oklahoma State University
(405) 744-6260
GOODWELL, OK÷The OSU/A&M Regents have approved using a construction management process on the multi million dollar project to expand and modernize Oklahoma State Universityâs football stadium.
The construction management ãat riskä approach will provide OSU and the regents with the ability to effectively control the scope, time, cost and quality of the overall project. The construction management firm assumes the risk for cost overruns in phases of the project.
ãConstruction management has proven extremely effective on large-scale public and private projects,ä said OSU President Dr. James Halligan. ãWe have every reason to believe such an approach on our football stadium project will result in a quality job being delivered on time and within budget.ä
ãThis is an exciting project and the Regents appreciate the thoughtful and thorough approach being taken by OSU to ensure this project is a financial and construction success,ä said Fred Harlan, Chair of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents.
ãThe construction management approach is particularly suited for a multi-faceted and multi-phased project like the OSU stadium project because the entire project does not have to be designed before a firm is selected,ä said John Houck, Vice President of Physical Plant at OSU.
The construction management firm chosen for the project will work in conjunction with the architects, sub-contractors and OSU to provide value engineering, cost management and quality control throughout the construction. In addition, OSU and the regents, rather than a general contractor will oversee the selection of subcontractors through competitive bidding.
ã Under state statutes, construction management is considered a professional service contract, which means it can be awarded on the basis of qualifications and then fees can be negotiated,ä Houck said.
The construction management selection process is similar to the standard architectural selection process in Oklahoma. A selection committee comprised of professional design staff, key university administrators and regents will conduct a blind review of all bids on the basis of each firmâs priority for the type of work included in the project, specialized experience, and qualifications of professional or specialized staff. The top five firms will be brought to campus for on-site interviews. Then three firms will be forwarded in rank order to the regents for final selection.
Sealed fee information from the five top firms will then be opened and used as a basis for negotiating a final contract. The construction management firm will be paid a percentage of the final project cost.
ãI believe the blind review, the rankings based on pre-set criteria and negotiation of fees based on sealed information from the top five firms provides a competitive, quality-based process,ä said Houck.
ãWe commend OSU for the careful approach it is taking to develop an objective selection process aimed at making sure we determine the best-qualified firm for this important project,ä Harlan said.
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Natalea Watkins.
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