APRIL 22, 2009 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
I NEWS I 25
St. Peters Senior Center to get facelift, new wing By JEANNIE SEIBERT St. Peters continues to strive to give the impression of watching tax dollars. At the Board of Aldermen’s April 9 work session, St. Peters Parks Department Manager Jeff Hutsler got a sharp grilling regarding the specifics of a Senior Center expansion plan. The Parks Department had earlier determined to release a request for bid (RFB) on a design/build basis to save money. But aldermen cautioned Hutsler of the disparities in some of the bid amounts and questioned him about the number of change orders that could be expected. Design/build is a construction project delivery system in which the city contracts directly with a single entity responsible for both the design and construction. Hutsler said the method saves both time and money as opposed to the former process of contracting with an architectural firm to design the project and then release the RFB based one single set of specifications. A change order is a written construction document which modifies the plans, specs and/or price of the construction contract. In design/build, change orders tend to be more frequent. Comparing the cost benefit between the established method of public construction projects and design/build, most governments, including MoDOT on parts of the Hwy. 40/61 (I-64) project, are opting for design/build for both expediency and cost considerations. To achieve the “shovel ready� status needed for federal stimulus monies, many construction projects are aided by the design/build model. While the project was originally budgeted to be a $700,000 renovation and expansion of the Senior Center, Duggan Construction Company bid came in at $654,880, the lowest of the four bidders, Hutsler said. Hutsler added that he and Senior Center Director Dan Lang had met with Duggan and recommended that company to complete the planned improvements. “With design/build there’s probably going to be change orders here and there,� said Hutsler, but promised the changes would be kept to a minimum. He said his meeting with Lang and Duggan had worked out a number of specifics before making the recommendation to the Board of Aldermen. The project proposal includes the expansion to the east side of the facility to increase seating in the dining room, renovation of the kitchen, and additions to both the fitness and multi-purpose rooms. The fitness room would come with television circuits and cable access. While the board will not finalize a decision on the recommendation until its April 23 session, some of the particulars to the
new wing would include matching the exterior brick façade on the front and the roof extension to the original structure. However, Hutsler said the RFB stipulated the side and rear exterior walls, now covered in a hardboard siding, be replaced with new vinyl siding on the three sides. As for rest of the facility, sidewalks to access exterior egress doors would be constructed to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) specifications, according to the RFB. The existing structure will also receive a
facelift. The heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system is to receive a complete overhaul. The range of bid prices on this item most concerned Board President Jerry Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth asked why the item was included and not put out on a separate bid to HVAC specialty contractors. Hutsler said that Duggan Construction, which had won the recent Rec-Plex expansion bid, had previously sufficiently proved to city staff that the time and efficiency of dealing with one contractor on a project. St. Peters Senior Center
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