Contractors Will Figure $115K Worth of Savings Into Southview Middle School Plans

The final price tag for finishing the second phase of Ankeny’s Southview Middle School should be about $115,000 less after project designers gave the school board recommendations on how to trim costs from construction.

Officials from DLR Group, the architect behind Southview Middle School, and Story Construction, the firm hired to find ways to cut costs from the project, were on hand at the Feb. 20 school board meeting to go through their suggestions with board members.

Out of almost $579,000 worth of savings, $115,000 of the suggestions were given as recommendations to the board by DLR, Story Construction and district administrators.

“We’ve been able to look more into this project and have evaluated a list of potential cost-reduction items,” said Tom Penney with DLR Group. “The common goal for all of us was optimizing value for the school district.”

On Feb. 15, the district facilities committee and district administrators met with DLR and Story to talk about suggestions to save money on Southview.

“We presented a very preliminary draft list of cost-reduction items,” Penney told Ankeny Patch following the school board meeting. "Together, we reviewed the list and ultimately made recommendations that would be consistent with the original design and would not impact long-term maintenance.”

The final list agreed upon by all parties contained the $115,000 worth of recommendations.

A majority of the recommended suggestions to save money will be implemented by making changes to building materials and the facility’s interior. Those passed over compromised early design suggestions made by staff, including incorporating natural light into the building’s design. Some also weren’t consistent with materials used in phase one of the building’s construction.

The interest in hiring an additional contractor stemmed from . The board decided in to hire Story Construction to work with DLR Group to find ways to save money in the $15.4 million project. Board member Dustin Graber was absent from the meeting

The proposed savings didn’t go without concerns among district residents. Tonya Land, a member of the Ankeny Parents Association, spoke at the meeting, reading a statement from the group.

“Over the weeks, we’ve asked questions and we found it unsettling and we all agreed it was unsettling you agreed to hire (Story Construction) midway through the process,” Land said. “We’re concerned some of these savings are not in the best interest of the future of our school.”

Some board members agreed things could have been different if Story Construction had been brought on board sooner.

“There’s always things we could have considered, and there are purposely things we didn’t pursue,” said board member Pat Cahill. “Time is of the essence here to make sure we get the project moving.”

All recommended savings will be incorporated into the project’s bid documents, which currently are being prepared. The district should start receiving bids by mid-April, Penney said.

The current price tag for the project is $15.4 million but district officials are anticipating the final cost to be lower due to the recommended savings as well as a competitive bidding potential this spring.

“It’s been a good partnership,” said board member Todd Shafer. “I think we’re on a great track sticking with the original design.”