7 minute read
Project profile
in
Campus Construction Management Group
Webster Central School District
Summer is a notoriously busy construction season, especially when it comes to capital project work for public school districts. The pace and pressure to prepare schools to open on time in the fall is both intense and rewarding, and for Campus Construction Management Group, it’s all in a day’s work. For more than 30 years, Campus CMG has specialized in construction management services for K-12 clients. Their work includes hundreds of school projects in New York State and over $5 billion in school construction put in place. Through the years, the company has worked with 136 school districts across the state; many of which continue to return to Campus for their next project.
“W e’ve been fortunate to earn the trust of our clients by providing excellent service,” said Mark Esposito, vice president of Campus CMG. “While trust is only one reason to justify our continuous involvement in our districts, it is certainly one of which we are most proud.”
One such client to continually use Campus CMG’s construction management services is Webster Central School District. Campus CMG first began working for the district in 1998 and is currently managing the fifth and sixth consecutive Webster CSD projects.
“Webster CSD considers Campus CMG an invaluable partner in nearly 8,400 students’ education,” said Brian Freeman, the district’s assistant superintendent for business. “Our longtime relationship has resulted in extraordinary additions to our 11 school campuses that make a difference in the educational environment in which our students learn and grow.”
The district’s $43.5 million district -wide capital improvement project began its first phase of construction in 2018, and is currently on track for a November 2020 completion. Phase 1a consisted of ADA-compliant upgrades at all elementary school bathrooms and playgrounds. A new cafetorium at Spry Middle School is the highlight of phase 1b. It replaces the original auditorium built in 1924, and allows the Middle School community to gather in their own space for special events, rather than using space at the Schroeder High School as they had previously. The original auditorium was repurposed into a learning space for professional development. The original cafeteria – an addition built in the 1960s – was turned into a modern library. The new cafetorium received its certificate of occupancy in August, and once the stage equipment is installed in early September, it will be ready for the first day of school.
Anothe r aspect of phase 1b is the addition of a buildings-and-grounds storage space on the Spry Middle School campus. Using the Spry campus for the storage
space eliminates the district’s need to rent storage pods at each school building. Additionally, it provides a more centralized, secure, and aesthetically pleasing place to store topsoil, gravel, mulch, and maintenance vehicles.
Project highlights of phase 1c include updates to the Webster Thomas High School library and the addition of a state-of-the-art media center. The new media center was built in what was previously an unused courtyard, making use of previously underutilized space. Both the high school library and media center feature colorful and contemporary design elements that make the spaces feel fresh and inviting. A new technology bar was also part of this phase and includes the same vibrant and modern motif. (insert pics of Thomas library, media center, tech bar) Yet another focal point of the 2020 project is the
recently completed district office. In lieu of the traditional office building design, the revamped space has an open layout that gives district administrators collaboration stations for group engagement and discussions. The exposed brick walls, reclaimed wood, wandering floor patterns, and barnyard-like sliding office doors further contribute to the unique and creative atmosphere.
Webster CSD’s sixth project with Campus CMG is the $69.5 million One Webster Community project, which is also in full swing. The Schroeder High School fields and track portion of this project was bid earlier this year, with construction kicking off in the spring with expected completion in spring 2021. Additional scope for this project includes the Thomas High School technology wing, which has just finished bidding. The remaining project scope, an addition to the district’s transportation facility, will be bid
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in the fall of 2020 and winter of 2021, and is scheduled for a December 2023 completion.
“The capital projects approved by our district voters continue to make an indelible impact on our entire One Webster community,” said Freeman. “Campus CMG has the unique opportunity to bring transformational changes to the physical features of our schools that, in many cases, can be enjoyed by all constituents of Webster CSD. From blueprints to buildings, Campus CMG diligently works with us to ensure the needs of our district are met through every capital improvement project.”
Webster CSD’s Director of Facilities, Blaine Cunningham, added, “The relationship over the last 20 years has grown from helping the district expand its footprint, due to population growth, to a modernization of facilities.”
It goes without saying that no construction project is delivered without its challenges, and the Webster CSD projects are no exception. The main project challenge since March of this year has been limited manpower – one of the many effects of COVID-19. While construction workers are considered essential employees, some laborers can’t work due to high-risk health factors and other personal reasons. During the pandemic, the available contractor workforce was cut in half in a matter of a two-week time frame.
COVID-19 also shuttered a number of manufacturers, which greatly affected the project schedule. A standard timeline for materials is typically eight weeks from submittal to installation. However, with out-ofbusiness manufacturers or out-of
state manufacturers who had to halt delivery, the project team discovered that materials expected to arrive in a few days were instead delayed by months. The team then was tasked with finding another manufacturer
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and repeating the eight-week submittal process.
While the pandemic-related school shutdown in March and April allowed the contracting team to demo earlier than planned, the project schedule came to a temporary standstill since so many finishes were delayed. In one case, bricks for the exterior were being shipped from outof-state, but right before shipment, the pandemic put an end to out-ofstate shipments.
“The project site had received three of the expected six loads. The other three remained locked down in an out-of-state construction yard,” said Campus CMG Senior Project Manager Scott Hochreiter.
For two months, that part of the project had to be shut down until the shipment ban was lifted.
Although the pande mic certainly added another layer of complexity to the project, the construction management team, led by Hochreiter and Project Manager Dan Andrews, worked together to come up with creative alternatives to each setback, ultimately getting the projects back on schedule. They attribute their success to frequent communication among the project team and its partners, and directly with the owner. Collaborating with the architect – fellow ROBEX member LaBella Associates – and maintaining an open working relationship with LaBella, the contractors, and the district eventually overcame the project setbacks.
I n addition to LaBella, the following ROBEX members served as prime contractors on various phases of the projects. • Billitie r Electric, Inc. BLM Construction Co . Inc. Cr osby-Brownlie Inc. J aven Construction K yle R. Lawrence Electric Llo yd Mechanical P ooler Enterprises Inc. T . Bell Construction Thurst on Dudek LLC
Campus Construction Management Group is dedicated to helping clients achieve their capital project goals. With offices in Rochester, Buffalo, and the Southern Tier, Campus CMG offers a full range of CM services to plan, coordinate, and supervise construction, all on behalf of the Owner. As an employee-owned company, Campus is invested in the success of every single project they manage. For more information, visit
campuscmg.com
