Construction Manager at Risk Selected for New Lakeport Courthouse

April 5, 2012

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Construction Manager at Risk Selected for New Lakeport Courthouse

SAN FRANCISCO—The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has announced the selection of Gilbane Building Company as the construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the new Lakeport courthouse for the Superior Court of Lake County.

The CMAR method entails a commitment by the contractor to deliver the project within a guaranteed maximum price. Gilbane Building Company, based in San Jose, submitted the winning proposal to provide preconstruction services, planning, and construction management services, including solicitation of bids from subcontractors.

In business since 1873, Gilbane Building Company is a family-owned, fourth-generation general contractor and has completed numerous California public construction projects. In 2010, the company was honored for its work on two public education facilities with the Project Achievement Award from the Northern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America. Gilbane is also the construction manager at risk on the new Banning courthouse for the Superior Court of Riverside County.

The AOC uses the CMAR method for delivery of many major capital projects. The competitive selection process factors in qualitative criteria such as a firm’s experience and contractor’s fee. The CMAR is retained early in the project for preconstruction services. Following a competitive bid for all subcontracts and the approval to award, the CMAR becomes the general contractor for the project. The AOC received nine submissions for the Lakeport project and interviewed five short-listed firms, from which Gilbane was selected.

The bidding process for subcontractors is expected to take place in late 2013, with prequalification preceding that. The CMAR selection process included an evaluation of the firm’s plan for outreach to local subcontractors, to ensure that qualified local firms are aware of the bidding opportunity, process, and timeline. Local outreach will begin immediately. All qualified subcontractors, lower-tier subcontractors, and suppliers will be considered.

The first phase of architectural design for the new courthouse, by the firm of Mark Cavagnero and Associates, is now under way. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2014 and be completed in mid 2015.

The new courthouse, to improve access to justice for Lake County residents, will be located near downtown Lakeport on a six-acre property at 675 Lakeport Boulevard. It will house four courtrooms in approximately 50,000 square feet, replacing the court’s current overcrowded and inadequate space on the fourth floor of the aging Lakeport Courthouse. The project will incorporate forward-thinking elements of sustainable design and is being designed to qualify for a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. Numerous energy-saving features will make the new courthouse more economical to operate over time.

This project was ranked as an “Immediate Need” in the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan, making it among the branch’s highest-priority infrastructure projects. It is funded by Senate Bill 1407, enacted in 2008 to provide up to $5 billion in funding for new and renovated courthouses using court fees, penalties, and assessments with no impact on the state’s General Fund.

More information about the project is available on the California Courts website. For more information about the construction manager at risk, see Gilbane Building Company.