The Observation Deck

While browsing information at Lakewoodalive.com, I came across a link to drawings for several city projects. The library project caught my eye since it has effectively fallen off its status of being "on schedule and expected to be completed by the Fall 2006."

What is the status of the expansion project? Why didn't construction start this year? When will construction begin? Why hasn't the library updated its project page?

S. Galwey wrote:While browsing information at Lakewoodalive.com, I came across a link to drawings for several city projects. The library project caught my eye since it has effectively fallen off its status of being "on schedule and expected to be completed by the Fall 2006."

What is the status of the expansion project? Why didn't construction start this year? When will construction begin? Why hasn't the library updated its project page?

From what I know. bids came in a little higher than expected. Ken thought it might be a good idea to either get the quotes down or have enough money to finish the project once started.


.

http://lkwdpl.org/about/directormessage.htm

This is from Kenneth Warren, Lakewood Library Director and pretty much explains the current situation.

Stan Austin

Observers,

Kudos to the Lakewood Library Board and to Director Ken Warren for the responsible and prudent manner in which they are proceeding with the new Library project.

Public entities such as the Library, City and Schools have numerous and lengthy regulations and governmental procedures that must be adhered in virtually every aspect of their respective operations.

Often the public becomes impatient with the slow responses...and I certainly understand and am sensitive to those concerns...yet, those procedures and safeguards are a daily way of life for government agencies.

We all anxiously await the exciting new Library project and anticipate it's construction, but the Library leadership's careful actions will assure a quality project that properly protects the public's tax dollars.

I am truly sorry that the project has been delayed and I appreciate the patience and support.

Thanks to Stan and the Mayor for the kindness of your posts.

In July bids exceeded estimates by more than 10% and were rejected, something the Board was compelled by law and prudence to do.

To bring the project in line with the resources available, the re-design has focused primarily on reducing scope in the basement, eliminating the raised floor in the auditorium and the delivery garage. These elements created excessive structural costs at points where the new and old buildings were to be joined.

Site development costs were a big budget buster in July's bid day bust out.
Therefore special attention was needed to reduce cost to this area - where shoring and de-watering were significant cost drivers.

After considerable deliberation the Board believed this path of reduced scope was though more time-consuming on the front-end the reasonable one, given our budget limitations and project goals for a beautiful, functional and finished library.

The streetscape and civic facade are not changed.

“The Katrina Effectâ€Â￾ created turbulence and hedging in the market and estimating process, which complicated and gave some pause as to how best the project could proceed.

However, we are moving forward.

I spoke with the Architect yesterday and Construction Manager this morning.

The structural documents for the re-design will be completed Friday.

A final check estimate on the cost of the re-design will be completed by December 16.

I would expect to meet sometime with the Board and design team after the estimate is complete to establish the project cost and to proceed with the bidding process.

I am hopeful the Board and Design Team will make any final adjustments and value engineering decisions needed to commence the project in a timely frame.

I have been pressing both the CM and Architects for dates in the expectation that January would be the time to go out for bid.

I will keep you posted.

Again thank you for your interest.

Kenneth Warren
Director
Lakewood Public Library

Kenneth Warren wrote:I am truly sorry that the project has been delayed and I appreciate the patience and support.

Thanks to Stan and the Mayor for the kindness of your posts.

Thanks for taking the time to post. This citizen appreciates keeping jobs on task and within budget. I would consider keeping the construction page more up to date; just a cut-and-paste from your post here would be simple and helpful for those interested. Perhaps adding a weekly or monthly update would go a long way. Thanks again for taking the time to update us.

Thanks for the understanding and suggestion of the library page schedule update.

I'll add a schedule with target dates.

If all goes well, it looks like construction will begin on March 6, 2006.

In discussing target dates with the CM and Design Team, I supply the presently operative ones:

Construction Manager Preliminary Budget Check - December 1st thru December 16th

Board Review and Approval to Proceed - December 19th thru December 23rd

Design Team’s CBLH finalizes redesign deliverables/CM incorporate redesign into front ends - December 26th thru January 18th

Board Approval to go out for bid - January 19th thru January 25th
Construction Manager reviews documents for addendum issue if necessary - January 25th

Bid Document reproduction - January 26th & 27th

Bid Advertisement and Bid Phase - January 23rd thru February 17th (actually February 22nd float if addendums are issued)

Bid Opening - February 23rd, 2006 (Thursday at Noon)

CM Post Bid Review & Recommendation to award/Board Approval/Primes

Contracts issued - February 24th thru March 3rd

Tentative Construction Start - March 6, 2006

I hope this gives you better sense of the process and where we stand at the present time.

I will keep the board posted.

Again, thanks for your interest and patience.

Kenneth Warren
Director
Lakewood Public Library

Any updates on the status? I saw the drive through was to close on 3/18, is that a sign that construction is about to begin?

I am delighted to announce the project is a go.

Bid opening was held March 14.

Panzica Construction Co, the Board's Construction Manager for the Project, reviewed and evaluated the bids received, considered the responsibility of each of the apparent low bidders, considered the alternates included on the bid form for work and recommended to the Board the following bidders as the lowest responsible bidders for the specified base bid and selected alternates for the bid package:


General Trades Contract Infinity $9,579,550

Plumbing Contract Commerce $314,070
HVAC Contract T.H. Martin $880,715
Electrical Contract Doan Pyramid $2,178,491

TOTAL $12,952,826


The Board met this morning and passed a resolution to award bids outlined above.

Letters of intent from the Construction Manager were just issued.

Contracts and more detailed scope of work document will be issued within the next fourteen days.

Actual work on the project site will begin on April 3, 2006.

Again, I appreciate your patience and interest.

Kenneth Warren

Congratulations Ken. You and the rest of the library staff and board should enjoy the feeling. It is very exciting. Thank you for being patient and waiting for the right bids.

Thanks for the update. Sounds good to me. Is the city putting off proposed street repair plans to work on Arthur? That would be quite an inconvenience to the people in that neighborhood to have construction all around them!

Kenneth Warren wrote:I am delighted to announce the project is a go.

Bid opening was held March 14.

Panzica Construction Co, the Board's Construction Manager for the Project, reviewed and evaluated the bids received, considered the responsibility of each of the apparent low bidders, considered the alternates included on the bid form for work and recommended to the Board the following bidders as the lowest responsible bidders for the specified base bid and selected alternates for the bid package:


General Trades Contract Infinity $9,579,550

Plumbing Contract Commerce $314,070
HVAC Contract T.H. Martin $880,715
Electrical Contract Doan Pyramid $2,178,491

TOTAL $12,952,826


The Board met this morning and passed a resolution to award bids outlined above.

Letters of intent from the Construction Manager were just issued.

Contracts and more detailed scope of work document will be issued within the next fourteen days.

Actual work on the project site will begin on April 3, 2006.

Again, I appreciate your patience and interest.

Kenneth Warren