New Grant County Jail

The County completed a Phase Two environmental survey to determine the extent of the environmental hazards pointed out in the phase one survey. With a phase two survey completed, we can write a proper scope of work to mitigate the identified hazards. We also needed to perform a good faith survey and did find asbestos in numerous areas of the racetrack. Like the rest of the environmental hazards, this will also need to be cleaned up.

The expectation still is to release a bid for the early site work package (clean up and leveling of the site) in April (ish). The timing is somewhat fluid because we would like to complete the early site work and have a minimum of downtime between when that work is completed, and construction of the jail begins. It would be more costly to complete the early work, then demobilize the contractor only to incur the cost of mobilization again.

We hired Lydig as our General Contractor/Construction Manager or GCCM, as this is the best way to perform a project of this magnitude. With the expected cost of the mechanical and electrical systems, we are performing the same process to contract with an Electrical Contractor/Construction Manager (ECCM) and a Mechanical Contractor/Construction manager (MCCM). This work is happening in the background while we finish the documentation needed for the early site package bids and work to select a contractor for the site's cleanup.

Meanwhile, we did have a company that manufactures prefabricated jail cells bring one by on a truck last week. Many people were able to stop by and see what a prefabricated jail cell looks like and what was built into them—an exciting concept and an excellent way to save costs on the jail.

I'll look to update the blog next once we have selected the ECCM/MCCM and are able to announce who those contractors will be. 

Today we had an official “Kick Off” Meeting with the entire jail building and design team.  After contracting with Lydig Construction from Spokane WA, this is the first time the entire team is meeting together to discuss what happens next. This is not a “golden shovel groundbreaking event”, but a meeting to lay the groundwork for who is communicating with who, what our expectations are of each other, budgets, logistics, goals, etc.

The team is comprised of County representatives, CRA Architects, CBRE, and Lydig Construction. At the meeting we brought Lydig up to speed on things that have transpired to this point. Lydig, as the GCCM will now schedule meetings, work with the County and the Architect, engage all subcontractors as we perform advanced schematic design, and will work out pricing for all the disciplines required to build a new jail and Sheriff’s administration center. The “heavy lifting” I have been doing is being transferred to Lydig’s shoulders (happily).

In the immediate future the current happenings behind the scenes are.

• Lydig will begin the process of finding contractors, and pricing for the “early site package” this includes the complete clean-up of the old racetrack and preparing the site for the new construction that will follow.
• Discuss, and help figure out some of the issues we have yet to deal with that they would be better equipped to handle.
• The County, and this team are working with the City of Ephrata, Lydig, and the WSDOT to help with the design and installation of a new Round-A-Bout at the highway intersection where Walmart is located. (There is no current timeline, this is the preparatory work)
• Working on other site improvements / ideas to mitigate traffic disruptions in the future when construction goes into full production.
• Advanced schematics, this is where we plan the details of electrical, mechanical, security, IT, control, and all other systems required for this type of facility.

This is a lot of work, although you’re not seeing progress on the ground, there is a ton of work happening in the background. The more we coordinate now and ensure our visions and values are aligned. The more successful we will be throughout.

Thursday, November 17^th, the County held a public bid opening attended by the two general contractors submitting for the new jail construction. Two proposed costs were required, the cost for the “General Conditions” and the “fee Percentage” for the project based on the proposed total budget.

General Conditions: The General Conditions is a well-articulated document better known as an “A201”. This document provides baseline terms that define the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of the parties to the Contract. This document is supported by another contract, an “A133”. A standard form agreement between the owner (Grant County) and the “Construction manager” (our selected General Contractor).

The two documents total 114 pages of contractual obligations, terms, stipulations, definitions, expectations, and intended results between the County and the Contractor.

The “general conditions” cost is not based on the project itself but on the cost to manage and administer the project. These include costs such as the following but may include more or less; these are just examples.

• jobsite trailer
• jobsite utilities
• small tool charges
• superintendent salaries/costs
• safety costs
• site administrative costs
• project accounting
• field computer and BIM services

The “fee percentage” is applied to a somewhat expected total project cost. We won’t know the actual cost of the project until all design and construction documents have been completed and the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) has priced all the components and provided (and the County accepts) a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the project. The fee value was based on a budget of Seventy-Five million dollars. Based on the actual budget, this cost could go up or down.

The opening was as follows:

This pricing was the third part of a scoring matrix that scored submittal material, presentation, and interviews with the Contractor. Based on the above-referenced costs and the previous scores, Central Services recommended that we enter a contract with Lydig Construction and put this recommendation forward for approval by the County Commissioners during the regularly scheduled consent agenda on Tuesday, November 29^th, 2022. The recommendation was approved as a walk on item. Both Layton and Lydig provided outstanding submissions, and both interviewed very well, We have selected Lydig but do wish to recognize an outstanding Layton team as well. 

Grant County is looking forward to partnering with Lydig Construction and is excited to take the next steps towards constructing the new jail.