In September 2022 the Athletics Field began its renovation of all damaged fields to protect athletes from future injuries, due to poor irrigation and water damage causing potential tripping hazards in the football, softball, baseball, and track and fields.
According to Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler “As of right now we’re still on schedule for construction to start late spring. Since we know it can be a long lead time to order some of these materials, we’re working with the coaches over Spring Break so that we can get the product ordered in April. The cost has not changed at this point, and we’re doing our best to keep everything moving forward,” says Breitler.
“The team is working with coaches to determine what the best product will be for the fields and track… they are taking field trips and looking at various types of products,” said Breitler.
That team includes, “Director of Athletics, Football Coach, Softball Coach, Baseball Coach, Track Coach, Director of Facilities, Energy/Maintenance Manager, Athletic Field Attendant, Groundskeeper/Irrigation, Electrician, Plumber, Assistant Director of IT, Network Specialist, VP of Administration, VP of Instruction and Director of Procurement,” according to a presentation at the Sept. 6, 2022 board meeting.
The college decided to go with a design-bid-build process in September 2022, advising that this process will offer a “delivery system including accelerated completion of the project, cost containment, reduction of construction complexity, and reduced exposure to risk for the community college district,” according to the presentation.
At the Nov. 21, 2022, board meeting the construction team McGuire & Hester was awarded the contract by the board.
According to the meeting notes McGuire & Hester was chosen because, “The Proposers’ Price Proposals, as set forth above, also included pricing for Project Insurance Costs, as well as General Conditions, and Overhead and Profit the latter two costs provided as a percentage of the Design-Build Entity’s total direct/hard construction costs during Construction Phase Services.”
As of Dec. 12, 2023, the Athletic Fields project team had asked the board to release “construction service funds and increase the existing contract…amend the contract with McGuire and Hester for the Design-Build Contract RFQ/P #23-04 to release construction services funds and increase the contract in the amount of $4,000,000. The budgeted source is Measure L Bond Funds.”
The team is looking to start Increment One work to be conducted on the Athletic Fields Renovation Project. “The Increment One work consists of the following: The purchase of materials, such as the playing field carpet. The purchase will take place after team meetings with the coaches to choose the appropriate products. Earth Work to remove the fields and start the preparation of the land,” according to the Dec. 12 meeting.
Increment one will also allow the project to secure carpet purchase and delivery early to delay any product delays, as well as the start of the fields being removed, irrigation repaired, and land prepared for the incoming fields.
It will then be followed by the second increment which is the Division of State Architects approving the drawings and costs associated to finish the project construction.
In the meanwhile games are still being held at the University of Pacific and McNair High School, and contracts for transportation to get to the games have been increased while Delta discusses plans for the fields and coaches look for the best products.
