During the Monday, November 13 Northampton School Board meeting, D’Huy Engineering President Arif Fazil and PFM Financial Advisors Managing Director Jamie Doyle provided a presentation to review the summary of bids for the proposed Route 329 elementary school and education center, and then Fazil also provided a presentation on the Moore Elementary School draft study regarding proposed renovations.
The bid tabulation for the Route 329 project was compiled from the bid packages received on October 26 and was broken down by contract. The Pa. Department of Education establishes that districts must award contracts to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder who properly answers the specifications and gives proper assurance that the contract specifics will be fulfilled.
For the general contract, Boro Developers Inc. submitted a base bid/proposed alternates cost totaling $49,230,000, Lobar Inc. submitted a bid for $47,107,000, Penn Builders Inc. submitted a bid for $44,249,000 and Skepton Constructions submitted a bid for $48,795,000.
For the mechanical contract, Boro Developers Inc. submitted a bid for $9,517,000, J.B.M. Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $9,511,000, Myco Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $11,874,000 and Tri-Country Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $9,922,000.
For the electrical contract, Albarell Electric Inc. submitted a bid for $10,193,197, Boro Developers Inc./Boro Construction submitted a bid for $9,404,000 and Wind Gap Electric Inc. submitted a bid for $9,572,170.
For the plumbing contract, Integrity Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $3,334,745, J.B.M. Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $3,284,000, Jay R. Reynolds Inc. submitted a bid for $3,369,000, Myco Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $3,383,000 and Vision Mechanical Inc. submitted a bid for $3,112,000.
During the Act 34 Hearing on Dec. 8, 2022, the maximum building construction costs were limited to $44,707,536 plus the 8% permitted for exceeding costs totaling $48,284,138. However, the aggregate building expenditure now totals $52,307,658 after being updated per the PDE inflation increase. With the Act 34 maximum building construction costs based on bids submitted totaling $46,702,658, the project is still in compliance with Act 34, which will not require a second hearing.
Per the Act 34 Hearing and bids submitted: the general contract budget estimate totaled $42,247,300, and with the actual bid plus additions and deductions for alternates, Penn Builders Inc.’s bid is for $43,864,800, which is $1,617,500 more than originally budgeted; the HVAC budget estimate totaled $9,321,300, whereas the actual bid plus additions and deductions for alternates from Tri-County Mechanical Inc. is for $9,522,000, which is $200,700 more than originally budgeted; the electrical contract budget estimate totaled $8,682,764, whereas the actual bid plus additions and deductions for alternates from Boro Developers Inc. is for $9,444,000, which is $761,236 more than the original budget; and the plumbing contract budget estimate was for $3,239,100, whereas the actual bid plus additions and deductions for alternates from Vision Mechanical Inc. is for $3,112,000, which is $127,100 less than the original budget.
In total, the bids that were submitted versus the original proposed budget that was presented during the Act 34 Hearing is a cost increase of $2,452,336.
In other news, during Fazil’s presentation on the Moore Elementary draft renovation study, he outlined the school’s existing systems and the recommendations based on the study.
Some of the findings included the following: central cooling plant – replace chillers and pumps; central heating plant – replace the central boiler equipment with propane boilers, replace the hot water pumps and replace the hot water pipe mains; classroom HVAC – provide a new four-pipe variable air volume ducted system; gym and cafeteria HVAC – replace air handling units; administration and library HVAC – replace the library system; ATC system – replace controls; the electrical system recommendation included replacing wiring and equipment; interior and exterior lighting system – replace all existing lights with LED features; communication system – install a distributed antenna system, replace the telephone system, provide a new building-wide paging system, provide new public address systems in the gym and cafeteria and provide a new wireless synchronized clock system; safety and security system – replace the Simplex fire alarm system and provide a new building-wide paging system; water system – replace the well pump, internal treatment and storage systems and replace service entrance piping; piping system – replace portions of under-slab sanitary and storm piping and replace the domestic water piping system; plumbing fixture – replace all original fixtures; fire protection – install a new sprinkler system; roof system – provide a built-up, 25-year warranty roofing system with new insulation; interior finish systems – replace VCT in corridors, cafeteria and other areas, replace carpeted areas, replace casework, replace suspended ceilings and replace ceramic tile floors; site items – replace the roof and windows on the sewer plant, replace concrete stairs at the gym, replace playground equipment, provide a fence along rear of property, replace access road, replace lighting, replace/repair concrete sidewalks and curbs and replace/repair stormwater piping; and building envelope – remove skylights in corridors, replace skylights in classrooms, repair exterior soffits and repoint brick, replace windows, and replace rusting exterior doors and frames.
The January 2020 Moore Elementary renovations were estimated to cost $17,568,000; however, with the current inflation index, the new estimate totals $23,730,628 for November 2023, which will likely increase in subsequent years.
School board directors will be able to review the capital plan draft report on Moore Elementary needs as early as the December 4 meeting.
