Trustees voted Nov. 21 to approve an $86.74 million contract with Webber Commercial, a construction firm headquartered in The Woodlands. David Vesling, executive director of Facilities & Support Services for PfISD, said the district budgeted the contractor services for the project at approximately $91 million. The project is funded by the district’s 2018 bond funds.
“That’s one of our golden rules—we have to be under budget and on time,” said Vernagene Mott, president of the PfISD board of trustees.
PfISD received more than a handful of bids for the district’s elementary school and middle school construction project, Vesling said.
“We had six top tier firms that bid, which is remarkable [...] considering the market and how busy everyone is,” Vesling told trustees. “We ultimately ended up with one. [...] We believe they bring the best value to the district.”
The combined campus project is the first of its kind for PfISD, officials said, and offers a unique set of challenges for the district. Two separate architecture firms—Pfluger Architects and PBK Architects—designed the elementary school and middle school, respectively. As a result, Vesling said PfISD was looking for a contractor that had experience working on similar projects.
Webber Commercial has completed projects for College Station ISD and Houston ISD, among others, according to the company’s website.
“We have to hire the right company to pull this off and, personally, I believe Webber is going to be the company to pull this off,” Vesling said. “Everything is aligning that we have the right firm.”
The elementary school project, which will be the district’s 22nd elementary school, includes a career and technical education facility and roadway construction for the site. The combined campus site is located near the corner of Pleasanton Parkway and Weiss Lane in eastern Pflugerville. Construction on the elementary school is budgeted at $30.91 million, district documents show.
PfISD’s seventh middle school will include two separate gyms, fine arts amenities and an outdoor courtyard. The campus, budgeted at $53.35 million for construction, will feature a stadium, including bleachers, a press box, lights, a six-lane track and a field, according to district documents.
A groundbreaking date for the combined project has not yet been set, but PfISD Superintendent Douglas Killian told district staff to find a date before the new year.
