TITLE
Title
AUTHORIZE STAFF TO UTILIZE THE DESIGN-BUILD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A KITCHEN ANNEX AT THE HIGH POINT DETENTION FACILITY
end
SPONSOR
Sponsor
Eric Hilton (Facilities)
end
BACKGROUND
Background
In July of 2024 the Sheriff’s office made Facilities aware of drainage issues that were impacting their operation. Subsequent exploration of the issue revealed that several drain lines in the kitchen and laundry area had partially or fully collapsed. Given the age of the lines and service conditions, this is not an unusual occurrence.
Facilities hired an engineering firm to evaluate the replacement options and continue with exploratory work to define the extent of the problem. This effort continued into 2025. By April of 2025, staff had a set of engineered drawings outlining what it would take to replace the lines in place. The engineer offered an estimate of probable cost near $2 million. After consulting with construction contractors, staff believed this estimate to be low. The replacement as built would likely cost $2.5 million and would require a full shutdown of the jail due to the intrusive nature of the repair. The drain lines are located 4 feet deep under the slabs and grade beams of the structure. Extensive amounts of concrete cutting and repair will be required, which would require full access of the first floor by the construction firm.
After consulting with the Sheriff’s office staff, Facilities proposed that an equally cost-effective and less intrusive option would be to build an annex adjacent to the existing kitchen, external to the building walls. The annex would share a wall with the existing structure and an opening would be cut in the exterior wall to connect the structures. This would allow an expansion of space for the kitchen operations, would run new drain lines to connect to the existing sewer and would not require a full space closure. The Sheriff’s office agreed that a kitchen annex would solve existing operational issues, provide a better long-term solution and would involve much less risk to the operation of the detention center during construction.
Due to the nature of the work, a design-build approach would provide the shortest timeline and lowest cost. The recommendation and justification to utilize the design-build delivery method is attached.
Given the risk of encountering unforeseen site issues and complex issues of construction in a secure environment staff recommends the design-build delivery method as the most appropriate construction contracting approach for this project. This method enables the County to work with a design and construction firm simultaneously, providing flexibility to address evolving needs and conditions quickly. This method helps control costs, manage risks, and delivers the best possible result within the financial and time constraints of the project.
Pursuant to N.C. G.S. 143-128.1A, to use design-build procurement, the County must demonstrate that this method is appropriate by addressing six statutory factors. Each is outlined below for the Board’s consideration:
1. County Ability to Define the Project in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
2. Time Constraints
3. Ensuring Project Quality
4. Availability of Qualified Staff
5. Historically Underutilized Business and Small Business Participation
6. Cost-Benefit Analysis
The attached memo details responses to these questions which meet the statutory requirements for Board consideration.
The design-build method presents several advantages over traditional design-bid-build:
Accelerated Schedule: The integrated design and construction process reduces project duration by allowing concurrent activities-crucial for restoring operations quickly.
Reduced Budget Risk: With unknown existing conditions (e.g., soils, site, security issues), design-build minimizes costly change orders by enabling the construction partner to provide input during design.
Constructability and Value: Real-time collaboration results in practical design decisions that improve efficiency, reduce waste, and lower costs
...end
BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
end
REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143-128.1A, authorize staff to utilize the Design-Build Construction Contract method for the High Point Jail Annex based on the project needs outlined above.
end