ATTACHMENT 1

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:           Bill Strom, Chairperson, Library Building Committee

SUBJECT:      Library Expansion Project Progress Report

DATE:            February 13, 2006

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Town Council with a progress report on the work of the Library Building Committee.

On June 30, 2004, the Council authorized the Manager to initiate the process of creating a Library Building Committee to organize a process for selection of an architect and to work with the architect through the design process.  To date, the Library Building Committee has completed four working sessions where we received information on a wide variety of issues including:

• The Library Master Plan
• History of the Chapel Hill Library
• Land Use Management Ordinance
• Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) Program
• Percent for Art Program
• Construction Deliver Systems
• Construction Management Options

In addition to these information briefings, many of the committee members have completed a walking tour of the Library grounds and are planning tours of the Greensboro Library and the new Cameron Branch Library in Raleigh late this month.

After a thorough discussion of the Town’s options with respect to design, construction delivery methods and project management, the committee has reached a consensus.  We recommend that the Town Council authorize the Town Manager to enter into two separate contracts for the design and construction management of the Library Expansion Project.  The first contract would be with an architectural/engineering (A/E) firm to provide typical design services, to include program development, schematic design, construction documents, bidding/negotiations and construction administration services. A “two-stage” selection process involving the solicitation of statements of qualification and subsequent interviews will be employed to engage the A/E firm. 

The committee further recommends that, after selection of the design firm is completed, the Town Manager proceed to engage a professional construction manager to assist the committee and the architect during the design phase.  At the conclusion of design phase, and depending on the quality of our working relationship, the construction manager may be directed to undertake the construction of the project in the capacity of a “construction manager at risk”. Alternatively, the construction manager may be engaged to assume a consultant role for the Town, assisting with procurement and oversight of a general contractor.    

On January 10, 2006 the Committee reviewed and approved the draft request for qualifications to solicit statements of qualifications from architectural/engineering firms and we approved the draft “Process to Hire Construction Management Services.”  We also asked the staff to prepare Council resolution authorizing the Town Manager to begin the process of hiring an architectural and engineering firm and a construction management firm for the Library Expansion project.