Construction Management Services for Civic Organizations
Preparing the Game Plan for the City of Willmar's Construction Projects
In the Fall of 2019, Marcus Construction was selected by the City of Willmar to be the Construction Manager at Risk and quarterback the construction of three sports facilities that were approved as part of a monumental local option sales tax for the city, soon called the LOST Projects. The gameplan was to reshape the recreational opportunities by constructing a new 37,000 square foot Event and Recreation Center building, renovating an existing baseball complex, building a new pinwheel softball complex, and constructing two multi-use turf fields.
Creative Solutions for Commercial Construction Challenges
Soon after being awarded the projects, Marcus got to work on leading the city through the preparation of schematic and design development budget estimates for the project and managing the preconstruction phases. As 2019 closed and 2020 began, everything began to change quickly – a story that everyone in the industry and world understands. Projects that were dependent on sales tax revenue were in question due to economic uncertainty, start dates were delayed a year or more, and construction budgets impacted. Throughout 2020, our Marcus team lead virtual project meetings with two architectural design groups and three subcommittees to complete drawings and project estimates for Schematic Design, Design Development, and eventually Construction Documents for each project.
As the Spring of 2021 approached, the projects were ready to be sent out for public bid – but a new challenge was upon our team – delivering a project within budget amid historic material cost escalations. While all contractors were facing similar issues – the issue was compounded by the requirements of the public bid process and the requirements set in place by the League of Minnesota Cities. There were three issues we were faced with:
- All bids above $175,000 in contract value needed to be received through a public sealed bid process and be compliant.
- Every bidder needed to hold their bids for 30 days to allow for evaluation and approval.
- If a bid package did not receive a compliant bid or if the overall project went over budget, the entire project would need to be rebid.
One innovative approach our project team implemented to ensure the project would be within budget was the creation of the bid sets that included multiple strategic alternates per project. The alternates allowed for flexibility within the project bid. Our team’s game plan was executed flawlessly. All project alternates were able to be included in the project and each project was within budget and approved by the city council. Days after project approval, 110 contracts were distributed to subcontractors who were anxiously waiting to sign the contract and lock in pricing on materials.
Construction of Recreational Sports Complexes
In July of 2021, the first project to start was the Recreation Fields project which had two different construction areas of the City of Willmar’s property. One area included two synthetic turf fields and the second area had a pinwheel softball complex with a concession building at the center of it. One of the most challenging components of this project was delivering both complexes with a single earthwork contractor and hitting critical path schedule items. With thousands of cubic yards of earth to move, the 11-acre site where the two synthetic turf fields were to be built was prioritized.
To have the synthetic turf laid prior to freezing conditions, a complex subsurface system had to be installed beneath the surface. This included layers of subbase which included sand, granite, and trap rock on each 90,000+ square foot field. Included within the subsurface assembly were layers of PVC pipe and flat drainage tile. A coordinated effort was executed between July and the end of September, and the fields were ready for synthetic turf to be laid. The turf installer mobilized onto the site and completed their work by the end of October, hitting the critical install milestones. At the end of 2021, Marcus Construction turned over the project to the City of Willmar as the high school football team made a push into the playoffs.
Nearby we were proceeding with another large portion of the project, the pinwheel softball field complex. In the center, a concession building that houses a warming kitchen, restrooms, and a storage area was underway. With critical work for subsurface, grading, and concrete work to be completed prior to winter, we again hit this milestone and allowed for winter construction of the concessions building. In the Spring of 2022, the project pushed to completion with items such as:
- Irrigation sprinklers
- Field fencing
- Red ball diamond aggregate
- Bases
- Seeding
- Dugout equipment
With all these final touches being installed the fields were deemed ready to ‘Play Ball.’
Renovation of a Baseball Field5.5 miles away, another $1.8 million dollar sports field project kicked off in August of 2021 with Marcus leading the renovation of Swansson Fields. The scope of the project featured the improvement of one of the main baseball fields in the City of Willmar with addition of:
- Two masonry dugouts
- A concession building
- 200-seat grandstand and press box
- Batting cages
- A complete field reconstruction
A similar process to the Recreation Fields occurred, but with a more condensed schedule. This posed challenges to the Swansson Fields project as our team pushed to get the subsurface improvements and drainage complete to allow for the synthetic field turf to get installed prior to freezing temperatures. In the Spring of 2022, the project moved into installing the final items onsite to complete the concessions building, dugouts, irrigation, and completing the field seeding to ensure a quality turf that was ready for competitive baseball games.
Event and Recreation Center Construction
In October 2021, we had begun the indoor sports facility construction on the Event and Recreation Center. Included in the project scope was:
- A new entrance space into the existing ice arenas as well as the new structure
- 37,000 square feet of gymnasium
- An indoor playground
- Meeting rooms
- A warming kitchen
- Expanded restroom facilities
Due to constraints onsite and with materials, the Marcus team overcame several obstacles that were encountered at different phases of this construction management project. The first was due to some existing conditions that were not captured during the design phase, this included a main fiber line relocation and a temporary alternate entrance into the existing facilities. Our team was quick to reroute the fiber line and convert an existing space into a temporary entrance.
In early June, another obstacle identified was the structural metals and metal bar joist delivery was delayed until January 2022. The Marcus team identified adjustments that would need to be made which include pushing back other trades to correctly sequence activities, upsizing foundations to withstand winter conditions, and appropriate budgeting to work through the cold Minnesota winter.
As spring approached, we had construction schedule concerns with one of the main features of the gymnasium construction – the large, motorized partition wall that spanned 120’ wide by 18’ tall and divided the gymnasium into two court areas. The architect had specified a product and as we were working with the subcontractor their submittal responses were becoming very slow and concerning. It was becoming obvious to the Marcus project management team that getting the material onsite at the required time was in jeopardy. Over the course of 2 weeks, it was determined that the best course of action was to put the contractor on notice, which eventually lead to the termination of their contract. Simultaneously a new subcontractor was being contacted and prepared to bring onto the project. Cost escalation had occurred and would be addressed, but the contractor was able to keep our project on schedule.
Great Construction Project Results Take Great Teams
Bidding projects in the spring of 2021 presented challenges to everyone in the construction industry. Bidding and constructing projects during 2021 and 2022 were even harder, but despite the circumstances that the COVID pandemic presented, we rose to the occasion and took control. The City of Willmar hired us to be the Construction Manager at Risk because they knew despite the circumstances the best results would be delivered thanks to our professional construction services. Marcus Construction is proud to say that all three projects were delivered on time, under budget, and with great attention to detail and quality.
In January of 2024 at the Associated Builder and Contractors – Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter’s Excellence in Construction banquet, Marcus Construction received a Pyramid Award for the LOST Projects. We are proud of what we have accomplished, and it’s been awesome to see the positive impact these projects have had on the Willmar community and their ability to host a variety of athletic events.
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