West University Place officials authorized the issuance of a Construction Manager-at-Risk, or CMAR, Pre-construction Phase contract with RAVA Construction, LLC, on Oct. 26 for the first phase of work related to the Milton Water Plant Improvements Project.
The motion to award the Houston-based general contractor a fixed fee of $190,417 for pre-construction services passed in a 4-1 vote, with council member Kalie Rainsberger voting no.
City staff, along with representatives from IDS Engineering Group and RAVA, explained the scope of the contract to council members via a presentation at the meeting.
What’s happening?
The improvements project seeks to upgrade West U’s nearly 70-year-old water plant located at the intersection of Milton Street and College Street.
Based on the results of past studies conducted by officials, the Milton Street Pump Station lacks sufficient space to update its pump capacity without having to take the entire station offline. Doing so would significantly impact and disrupt water service delivery to all residents in West U, according to information posted on the city website.
Such conditions are coupled with the fact that the water plant’s pair of ground storage tanks are due for replacement before 2030 because of their age and condition.
Therefore, the plan’s objectives include replacing the existing tanks with dual 2 million-gallon ground storage tanks that will increase the amount of open space at the limited site. Additionally, the plan aims to upgrade the station’s overall pressure and flow to ensure compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, per the city website.
Other recommended improvements include:
Constructing a new pump building with four booster pumps in the location of the existing Technology Administration Building
Implementing new suction and distribution piping
Constructing a new electrical building with a motor control center, emergency backup generator, electrical service and other system-related equipment
Chemical improvements and surface water control station updates
Demolition of the existing booster pump room upon completion of the above recommended improvements
Sorting out details
CMAR contracts are a project delivery method in which a construction manager or contractor commits to completing a project within a guaranteed maximum price, also known as GMP. GMP represents the most that a project can cost without exceeding the established cap, city staff explained during the meeting.
IDS Engineering representatives said the city received a total of five responses in the CMAR procurement process, which involved publicly advertising a Request for Proposals in adherence to local and state laws.
Upon further evaluation of the firm and its proposal, RAVA was identified as the most suitable candidate for the project, primarily because of its extensive experience with similar CMAR projects in the past and overall approach to minimizing citizen impact.
“What’s making this project interesting is the location and the size of the footprint,” Shawn Mills, pre-construction manager at RAVA, said. “So our approach is to limit as much influence as we have on the community. That’s off-site parking, keeping noise levels down… We are requesting our [employees] to stage off-site, so there’s going to be no additional hazards involved.”
Mapping it out
RAVA will undertake a dual role as West U’s consultant during the pre-construction phase and, potentially, as its general contractor during the construction phase, per the presentation.
IDS Engineering and RAVA will collaborate during pre-construction specifically to complete the design and construction phasing; determine cost estimations; prepare a risk register; and assist in the involved permitting processes, among other related services.
Only when pre-construction work is complete will city staff return for City Council’s approval of the CMAR construction contract, which will include the project’s negotiated guaranteed maximum price.
City staff clarified that the Oct. 26 contract approval only authorizes the $190,417 pre-construction fee. An amendment will be required at a later date to authorize the final guaranteed maximum price of the project.
What happens next?
The construction phase of the CMAR contract is scheduled to return in April 2027 for council consideration, according to the agenda.
