Community center construction manager hired

By Grace Lovins

Keeping up the progress on the new Birmingham community and senior center project to be located at 400 E. Lincoln, city commissioners selected Clark Construction Company during the Monday, February 24, meeting to act as the construction manager for the remainder of the project.

The city released a request for proposals (RFP) for construction management services on January 15, and closed submissions on February 6. Ten proposals were received and reviewed by city staff, the city’s owner’s representative Neumann/Smith, and members of the Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee.

Per the city’s RFP, Birmingham sought a contractor to provide construction management services, lending the city expertise in construction estimating and market knowledge to help optimize the project. The contractor will also oversee the construction of the building when the time comes.

The committee was able to narrow the list down to three companies to recommend to the city commission, said city manager Jana Ecker. The three companies—Clark Construction Company, Frank Rewold & Sons and Rockford Construction—were invited to the meeting to give a presentation on what they can bring to the project.

Clark Construction Company, a Lansing-based company, stated they are a full-service commercial construction firm with experience in hospitality, recreational and member-focused facilities. Janice Suchan, senior vice president and project executive with Clark, said the company has a municipal, recreation and educational focus, as well as significant experience constructing natatoriums.

Some of Clark’s relevant projects include the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, the Greater Midland Community Center in Midland, Grand Ledge Public Schools 2019 Bond and the City of Pontiac Recreation Center. Clark’s senior project manager Andy Richter said that the company worked with Neumann/Smith, the city’s owner’s representative, on successful projects like Oakland Hills Country Club and Greater Midland Community Center. The two companies have a 30-year working relationship, he said.

As part of their proposal, Clark will provide pre-construction services, which includes pre-construction cost estimates with in-house estimators, as well as pre-bond services including marketing and public relations support before a bond is issued on the project. Their proposal also stipulated that, should the bond vote fail, the city will not be billed for the pre-bond fee.

While each of the commissioners said that either of three companies would’ve been an excellent choice, Clark ultimately stood out among them. The firm also had the highest score out of the three from the Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee.

Commissioners ultimately voted 5-2 to select Clark Construction Company as the construction manager. Brad Host and Clinton Baller voted against the selection given their opinion that the project is progressing too quickly. The two had also voted against approving the draft architectural program for the building earlier in the meeting.