To explore the most cost-effective way to construct a million new $20 million judicial complex, the county board listened to a representative from a construction management firm Tuesday.

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

To explore the most cost-effective way to construct a million new $20 million judicial complex, the county board listened to a representative from a construction management firm Tuesday.

Todd Christopherson of AMCON, which provided management service for the construction of Albert Lea High School, stressed the advantages of the construction management approach in comparison to the traditional method.

Often, a large public project is orchestrated by a general contractor picked through bidding. The general contractor is in charge of contracting out segments of the construction and overseeing the subcontractors.

In the construction management approach, the county directly contracts with each contractor.

To maximize their profit, general contractors tend to expand the construction cost, whereas construction management firms that work with a fixed fee do not have any incentive to inflate the expenditures, according to Christopheson.

Unlike general contractors, construction management firms commit a project from a design and planning phases, which provides the owner a way to hear alternative professional opinions.

&uot;Construction management does not add cost to the project,&uot; Christopherson said. Instead, it replaces the fee for a general contractor that is usually two percent of the project cost.

Commissioner Mark Behredns pointed out that the county should also listen to pros and cons of having a general contractor. And the board decided to have a workshop to further discuss the topic on April 16.

Administrator Ron Gabrielsen reported on the county’s outreach efforts regarding the new judicial center. Thirteen voicemail messages and 11 emails were addressed to newly established hotlines, he said.

Gabrielsen also mentioned that the county is planning to open public information sessions next week.