Guaranteed maximum price approved for Collinsville Fire Station #2
By Ray Popkess • Collinsville Fire Chief John Bailot presented City Council with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) amendment between the city and Holland Construction on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The ordinance authorized the Mayor to execute the agreement made between the two parties to begin construction on fire station #2 with a guaranteed maximum price of the project set at $8,247,361.
This total includes the cost of building and site work, as well as construction manager services, but does not include owner-provided operational costs. Factoring those in, the funds necessary to complete the second fire station amount to a grand total of $9,055,968.
Project Summary
The city engaged the services of Archimages for design and engineering services for the new fire station #2 to replace the current station on Belt Line. The city also engaged the services of Holland Construction Services (HCS) to serve as construction manager during the design phases and to provide support, cost reduction options, cost estimates at specific points in the project, and to assist with the competitive bidding process.
The design phase is complete; Holland has provided several cost estimates along the way and put the construction documents out for competitive bid. The various bids were received on Jan. 27. Bids were received for every division of the construction project with at least two bids for every division, with many bids for several divisions. The number of bids received provided for a very competitive process with pricing favorable to the city.
Holland will serve as construction manager at risk and has provided the city with a list of contractors, and a guaranteed maximum price for the site-work and construction of the new fire station.
Project Background
Two independent studies and subsequent reports were conducted and both referenced as the Fire Department Master Plan. The first was delivered to the city council at an early 2020 council meeting.
After that report, as many of the firefighters did not support the findings of McGrath Consulting Group, the fire department created a new “fire master plan committee.” The fire department master plan committee included a wide group of participants including firefighters, elected officials, city management, business owners, citizens, and other city departments at various times throughout this independent process.
The second master plan report was unanimously approved by the full committee and presented to the city council on Feb. 28, 2023. The Resolution (23-7R) adopting the plan was approved without dissent at the March 14, 2023 meeting. The findings of both the McGrath plan and the fire department master plan committee, using current data, building locations, response time, and coverage, came to very similar results. Both reports discussed many topics, but specifically, both recommended that if the City was to move to a three-station model, a new fire station #2 should be built in the general area of Vandalia St. and Beltline Rd.
Fire station #2 was designed to serve and meet the needs of the citizens of Collinsville for 40+ years and is ideally located for a four-minute response. Once fire station #3 is built on the acquired property on United Dr., the fire department will be positioned to meet the NFPA standard of four minutes throughout the city.
In Aug. 2024, Archimages presented the schematic plan for the new fire station #2, and cost estimates based on square footage. At that time the cost opinion for the building and site work ranged between $6,818,625 and $8,110,575, but did not consider construction management fees, nor did it include the costs associated with purchasing property or design fees. Construction management services were added after the Aug. 2024 presentation. The estimated cost opinion at that time for the construction project ranged from $8,864,212 and $10,543,747.
The actual bid costs for the building and site came in within the initial range provided by Archimages at $7,655,548. There is $229,666 within the GMP agreement with HCS as contingency funds, which is 3% of the cost of construction, and important to hold for unforeseen conditions/situations. The amount of contingency funds not expended are credited back to the City. The Construction Management fees included in the GMP are $389,147. The operational owner provided items that will come before the Council at a future meeting are estimated at $781,607.
The GMP agreement was approved without dissent and a scheduled groundbreaking for the new fire station will take place in early March at 400 Pine Lake Rd.
