The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Architectural agreement approved by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved, by a 7-0 vote, of an architectural services agreement with Studio GC Architects at its Dec. 18, 2023 meeting.
  The agreement is with regards to a renovation and expansion project at South Elgin’s Kenyon Woods Middle School to prepare for the districts transition to a sixth to eighth grade middle school model starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
  “Architectural services are required for construction projects of this magnitude,” the proposal states. “A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architectural Services was issued on September 29, 2023. Ten firms submitted qualifications. A team of district administrators reviewed the qualifications, and four finalists were interviewed on November 7, 2023. Studio GC was ranked highest amongst the finalists.”
  In November, similar agreements were approved for projects at Elgin’s Kimball Middle School and construction of a new middle school in Elgin off Rohrssen Road.
  Like those agreements, Studio GC will be paid a percentage of the cost of work for the project.
  “Typically, architectural fees for school construction range between 6-10 [percent],” the proposal states. “The negotiated fee for the Kenyon Woods Middle School Renovation and Addition Project is 7 [percent].”
  The cost of the agreement will be $2.5 million at 7 percent if the preliminary estimate, stated in the proposal, of $35 million is the final project cost.
  The schedule of work shows substantial completion of the project in July, 2026.
  “The project’s scope includes a 50,000-75,000 square foot addition and renovations of existing spaces to facilitate a transition to a middle school approach with grades 6-8 and a total student capacity of 1,125,” a memo from Studio GC states. “It is understood that the District intends to utilize a Construction Manager as Constructor project delivery method.”
  The memo added: “In addition to the customary architectural services, our team will provide structural, plumbing, fire protection, mechanical, and electrical engineering services for the project. Services not listed in this proposal, such as civil engineering, landscape design, technology systems design, and specialty systems/consultants can be added per mutual agreement or provided as an additional service in the future upon identification of need.”