The Morganti Group - Press details

Two factors, hurricane damage and keeping up with competition, convinced school officials that now was the time to do the long awaiting renovations at the 39-year old private non-profit school. After surveying the hurricane damage, school officials determined that bringing the offices and classrooms up to modern building codes did not justify the cost. "We've been wanting to do these repairs for a long time. the hurricane gave us the opportunity," said President Leslie Downs. Improvements at other private schools also played a role, said Downs, who has been the president for the past 2 years. "Parents can always send their children to public schools. They won't pay for a private school unless the facilities are up to date." The new classrooms at Jupiter Christian should fill up quickly, said Andrea Graeve. She has twin daughters, Kaitlin and Bethany who are seniors and her son Joseph is an eighth-grader at the school. Graeve has older children who attended public schools. "My older children said their classes were over-crowded. To get noticed you have to be something special," said Graeve. "There's a growing demand and need for schools like Jupiter Christian in the north county. The security is better, the education is more intimate and every teachers knows your child."

New terminal to be user-friendly - Key West Int'l Airport

KEY WEST CITIZEN December 19, 2005 - Plans for the new $25 million airport terminal call for a user-friendly facility. Parking will be under the building and the new structure will have 2 floors, according to Larry Chalmers who is leading the project for Monroe County. The loop road will remain, but will be split, with one road leading to the departure area on the second floor and the other old road leading to the pick-up area. Taxis and bus parking will also be along that road. Passengers leaving the Keys will go to the upper level drop-off and enter the building. "The first thing they will see is the ticket counters," Chalmers said. Security will be tucked away out of sight. Luggage will go through a conveyer to the back, where it is to be searched of scanned and go over a skyway to the baggage loading area on the ground level. After ticketing, passengers can go to the restaurants, restrooms or gift shops before heading to the gate. Then they will cross a separate skyway down the escalator, stairs or elevator, to the holding area. "This area will have 400 seats, restrooms and a snack bar. You can also go outside and that will be substantially nicer." Those returning to Key West will go to the baggage claim. But that area will be expanded and pushed out about 20 feet. Near the baggage claim will be rental car companies, restrooms and an office for the lost luggage claim area. This area will be housed in the old terminal which is scheduled to be restored. Chalmers said the terminal will retain the charm and character of Key West through artwork and other effects.

County to try new building approach - Key West Int'l Airport

KEY WEST CITIZEN December 19, 2005 - It took the county's facilities development director 7 months to convince Monroe County to use a fairly new and innovative method of construction for the new Key West airport terminal. But Larry Chalmers prevailed and the McCoy Terminal Complex is the first county facility that will be built using the "construction manager at risk" (CMAR) method instead of the traditional design-build method. Ground-breaking for the long awaited new terminal complex is next month, but it will be April before noticeable construction work begins. Chalmers, who's been with the county for a little more than a yea, will lead the effort and server as the county's representative. "When you do the contract manager-at-risk, the selection of the contractor is not solely based on fee, it is also scored on capabilities." Chalmers said. The contractor is selected during the design stage. By hiring the contractor early in the process, the architect and contractor work together on the design so potential problems can be caught early. The county hired The Morganti Group in October as the construction manager at risk. The firm was selected based on qualifications including reputation and past project experience.

The entire operation falls under one contract. For now until the end of March, planning and designing will be the focus, according to Chalmers. Once the design is about 60% to 80% complete, the contractor provides a guaranteed maximum price for the project. The contractor establishes a fee, which is a percentage of the total price. According to Chalmers, the fee ranges from 13% to 15%. The estimated cost for the terminal is $25 million, with the firm receiving and estimated 14.8 percent or $3.7 million. The fee not only includes the contractor's own project fee, but pays for overhead, such as job-site trailers, performance bonds, risk insurances and coordinates the work of subcontractors. Proponents of this construction process say the CMAR method raises quality, lowers cost in the long run and, because the contractor is in part selected by his reputation, increases focus on budget and delivery dates. Opponents say that because the contractor has all the risk, he ceases to be the sole agent for the owner and now has his own interests at stake, according to Engineering News Record (ENR), an internet publication.

Chalmers said that in the case of the airport, there is another factor, the contractor mush know what he's in for, including security procedures and working around flights taking off and landing. "If he doesn't know what he's in for, he's dead." One of the problems with design-build construction is that in the past, the county would start projects and for whatever reason, substantially change them. With each change, the costs go up. "Now a group of three - the contract manager, architect-engineer and the county will sit on the evaluation committee for this project." Because of the expertise up front, changes should be minimal at best. County Engineer Dave Koppel provided an example of cost savings that may be employed. "Instead of poured concrete, we may use tilt-wall construction." Steel is put into concrete of tilt wall so that it can be raised and put in place. But the steel is unnecessary except for installation, he said. "We've learned that there is another method that takes the steel out, which reduces the cost," he said. Do the trio will investigate the method, Koppel said.

During the first phase of the project, the county will also purchase as many items for the project as possible, tax-free. "We can then assign them to the CMAR. If he buys them, he will have to pay tax," Chalmers said. "We can save up to 1.5% of the cost this way." Cost savings area not deducted from the construction manager's fee. On the other hand, if the commission decides it has more money to throw at the project, the construction manager's fee would go up by the same percentage. Chalmers also said that a contingency fund, made up of all the savings, allows for minor adjustments. At the end of the project, the contingency fund will be used for items from a wish list that the county would like in the terminal, but could not otherwise afford. The Monroe County School Board uses a similar approach to construction.

Total Program Management is less risk for the contractor. "They may not carry responsibility for any costs or insurance," he said. Chalmers said he previously owned his own construction firm and built 13 schools in Washington state using the Total Program Management approach. "They generally receive about 3%, but have much less to pay for." In his case, the money covered only 5 people, desks, office equipment and cars.

New school evokes a sense of history - JD Parker Elementary School

PALM BEACH POST August 7, 2005 - STUART - De. Julian Parker, who delivered thousands of the newborns in Stuart, would certainly be proud of the rebuilt structure bearing his name. But he probably wouldn't recognize it as an elementary school. The new JD Parker School of Science, Math and Technology that opens Monday along with Martin County's 17 other public schools is a learning center designed for the 21st century. Students will be welcomed in a main entrance splashed with reds and yellows and blues. A stand-alone U-shaped staircase is surrounded by curved glass walls that show off the music room and media center. "It's surreal walking in and out of the classroom and knowing it's mine." fifth-grade teacher Jamie Hughes said. JD Parker was built next to the original 45-year-old building in 10 months with a $18.5 million budget. "That's the equivalent of building two $250,000 homes from top to bottom every week." said James Auld, Vice President of The Morganti Group, the same outfit that built Jensen Beach High School last year. "Fortunately for the kids, it is going to be open on time," said Stuart Mayor Michael Mortel, who attended the JD Parker ribbon cutting last week. Both JD Parker and the new Hobe Sound Elementary School will house all students under one roof for the first time in years. both schools have handled enrollment overflows with portable classrooms outside the main building. "We have a new word here, and it's up," Hobe Sound Principal Essie Rains said. "I'm going to have all teachers together in one building and it's going to be wonderful." "We're going to have a little lesson in stair climbing," JD Parker Principal Gail Newman said. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, Newman gave the audience a quick history lesson on Parker, who was Martin County's only doctor for almost a decade before WWII. Parker served on the school board from 1939 to 1957 and is said to have delivered more than 4,000 children, known as "Parker babies," including current school board veteran David Anderson. The East Stuart school was named after him in 1960. "The school is part of history of this community," Newman said. "I know Dr. Parker would be very proud."

High school on track for fall opening - Jensen Beach High School

THE TRIBUNE February 18, 2004 - Walls are up, most of the roofs are on, and Jensen Beach High School is on schedule to open in August. That's what Martin County School Board members learned Tuesday when they took a tour of the school's construction site off Jensen Beach Boulevard. "We don't see a reason why we won't open August 2004," job site superintendent Ivan VanRoekel, of The Morganti Group, told the board members of the nearly $50 million school. In the education building, which will house the classrooms, many walls are painted and ceiling tiles are ready to be installed. VanRoekel even pointed out some tiled restrooms. However, there are a few buildings that won't be finished for the first day of school on Aug. 9. The gymnasium, auditorium, and football field will be ready a few months later, Principal Ginger Featherstone said. "It's going to be a state-of-the-art facility," said board Chairwoman Vicki Davis. "It's a very large, impressive project." Board member Sue Hershey added she thinks the students will love the school, particularly because of the preserve land on its campus. "They can look outside the windows and see the wetlands," said Hershey. For County Commissioner Doug Smith, who also took toured the school grounds, the site is "a dream come true." "It means so much to north county residents," Smith said. "A high school is the core of the community. It really brings everyone together." Member Lorie Shekailo, a Jensen Beach resident, was excited to see the construction's progress. "Being here and seeing this, it'll help me when people ask me if it's really going to be finished in time," she said. "I can tell them without a doubt, it'll definitely be done in time."