County hires civic center architect
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 20, 2015 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners have hired a firm to complete the design for a proposed $16 million agriculture and convention center.
They also decided to use the construction manager at risk method to build the center.
In June, HH Architecture of Raleigh was hired to design the first 35 percent of the project in order to preserve the county's option of either using design-build or the traditional design-bid-build method of construction.
On Tuesday the board unanimously authorized County Manager George Wood to negotiate a contract with HH Architecture for the full design.
The company has submitted the initial designs for the center that will be built on North Wayne Memorial Drive near Wayne Community College.
The county has a good relationship with HH Architecture, said Commissioner Bill Pate, chairman of the commission's Agriculture Advisory Committee.
"I feel fully confident that they are qualified to do this complete design," Pate said. "So I make the motion to authorize the county manager and county attorney (Borden Parker) to renegotiate a new contract for full design services."
"As long as your negotiations include the farmers market," Commissioner Joe Daughtery said.
Wood said that was listed.
"What Joe is talking about, I think everybody has seen the site plans, the original contract with her (architect) does not include the farmers market, but I think there has been some discussion about trying to have them include that as well," Wood said. "But technically that is not part of the original part."
Daughtery said he thought part of the discussion had been that it would "be thrown in."
"I kept hearing from the farming community, 'Have you all thought about a farmers market?'" Pate said after the meeting. "They wanted to tie some other stuff in it back there. It will bring more traffic out there. Then the farmers can show their wares.
"I feel real good that we have moved to where we are now and what we have got done. I will be calling the full ag board meeting soon. I am going to bring the architect down and get them all brought up to date."
The farmers market area would be located at the back of the center.
"I believe that everyone has been very pleased with the architectural services provided by HH Architecture, and has decided not to use the design-build method of service delivery," he said. "There is no need to issue another request for qualifications for architects if you decide to use HH Architecture.
"All that is required is a vote authorizing me to negotiate a new contract for the full design services. This would save us time versus hiring another architect. I recommend that you authorize me to negotiate a new contract for full design services with HH Architects."
Pate's motion was unanimously approved.
As for the construction method, Wood suggested two -- the single- prime bidding under the design-bid-build method, or the construction manager at risk method.
"There are advantages and disadvantages to both, as you can see from the information provided," Wood said. "I believe that either method can serve us well in this particular situation, although the staff does not have any experience using the construction manager at risk method. For that reason, I recommend that you use the design-bid-build method.
"In that system, the advertisement for bids is sent to general contractors, who must bid on the entire project. They must list on their bid the contractors they have selected for the subdivisions or branches of work for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and general."
That is the method the county is using to build the new jail, he said.
"You selected Moseley Architects, who designed the (jail) building, prepared the plans, specifications, and bid and contract documents," Wood said. "You pre-qualified the general contractors to assure quality, then bid the project out. Daniels and Daniels was the lowest bidder, and you awarded them the contract.
"The architect remains as your agent on the job, doing periodic inspections, reviewing and approving all pay requests from the contractor, and advising you on the need for and reasonable cost for any change orders to the work. I recommend that you consider this as a possible method to use."
However, Commissioner Joe Gurley's motion that the county instead use the construction manager at risk was unanimously approved.
Under that method a company provides construction management services and guarantees construction costs.
The company also provides services that may include preparation and coordination of bid packages, scheduling, value engineering, evaluation, pre-construction services, and construction administration.
The proposed center will house the Cooperative Extension Service, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Wayne County Soil and Water and have classrooms and a large lobby.
The center's assembly hall is designed to accommodate 840 people when set up banquet style and 1,554 for assembly seating.
It also can be broken into four rooms of different sizes to accommodate crowds of 190, 210, 380 and 494 respectively.