PENDER COUNTY — A third-party will be brought in to manage construction of the new K-8 school coming to Pender County.
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The board of education unanimously approved MBP out of the three firms to act in the district’s best interest during construction of J.H. Lea Elementary and Middle Schools. The firm will handle all contracts and expenses, scheduling and timelines, risk mitigation and building code and regulation compliance for work completed by Bordeaux Construction and Moseley Architects.
Contractors broke ground last fall on the 145-acre campus on N.C. Highway 210 in Hampstead. It’s slated for completion by fall 2027.
In late March, Pender County Schools put out a request for proposals for construction management teams to guide the project and received 11 responses. On Tuesday, the school board heard presentations from its top three contenders: MBP, Cumming Group, and Turner, Townsend and Heery.
Chair Beth Burns said during the meeting the management firm would provide “boots on the ground,” something the board needs. More so, she indicated it’s a hefty lift that can’t be put on school staff currently.
“I’ll just be very blunt: We are currently looking for a new chief operations officer,” Burns said. “We know that we need representation on the site. That’s not saying we have not, so far, had a good relationship with Moseley and Bordeaux — we have. … I think, as far as the board is concerned, it’s one of the most responsible things we could do. And we didn’t feel it would be fair to someone coming in as a new COO.”
Pender County’s chief operations officer, Russ Gurganus, exited in February and the district is currently searching for his replacement. Mike Taylor — who previously served as COO — is helping fill in duties as the district continues its hiring process.
Board member Jennifer Hansen wanted to know if MBP has entered into a development mid-project before. The school construction is roughly 34% complete and on schedule, Taylor confirmed, with foundation and walls being constructed now.
MBP confirmed they have picked up the ball mid-project, normally because of two reasons: something is wrong or the owner can’t manage the project and address all of its needs.
“Which falls back on school staff,” MBP senior project manager Michael Burris told the board. “And their full-time job is to take care of existing schools, not new ones being built.”
According to Taylor, bringing in a project management group has been discussed by the board before “due to lack of time” for school staff to handle large projects. These conversations began in the early days of the school bond referendum discussions in 2021.
Voters approved the $178-million referendum in 2022 and of that amount more than $111 million was to be put toward J.H. Lea’s construction. During MBP’s presentation to the board Tuesday, it noted the budget has increased to over $135 million, with another $6.7 million put aside for furniture, fixtures and equipment, as well as commissioning. That brings its cost to $142.2 million, including various allowances and contingencies.
Taylor told PCD it is unknown at this time the full cost of MBP’s services, as contract negotiations will begin now that the group has been chosen. The company’s services are covered by the bond.
PCS spokesperson Bob Fankboner said the new school build takes precedence over anything else the bond was slated to cover. It included a total of five projects, such as a Rocky Point Elementary School addition and Burgaw Middle School cafeteria rebuild.
“No other projects will begin until the new school is completed, they are secondary,” Fankboner noted.
MBP has experience in the field since 1989. It not only has worked on various school district projects, but also handled hospital projects, industrial enterprises, and government builds, including the city’s Wilmington Convention Center and public-private partnership River Place.
During its pitch, Andy Miller, MBP’s service line manager, said the company had “hundreds upon hundreds” of schools in its portfolio and 300 team members statewide.
Burris confirmed the group has worked with Bordeaux and Moseley before as well. MBP recently wrapped up a $47-million K-8 facility in Bladen County with Bordeaux.
“I really enjoyed working with Ben, your current superintendent you’ve got out there,” Burris said. “One of the best superintendents and most honest guys I’ve worked with.”
MBP is also finishing a $175-million trifecta of school builds in Danville, Virginia, to open this summer. Burris pointed out those projects also were design-build contracts, like J.H. Lea. Essentially, this means both design and construction are under a single contract, and can sometimes be less expensive and result in faster completion.
“We are only school representatives for owners, but we have been contractors. I’ve run general construction companies, I’ve managed CM risk firms,” Burris said. “I wrote half the language for the CM-risk bills in the state legislature, so we know what we’re talking about.”
Burris said he would be on site around twice a month, while Ron Rose, the construction manager with 51 years experience, could be there as frequently as the board wants, depending on its budget.
“I live close by in Myrtle Beach,” Rose assured.
The biggest risk facing the project in Pender County is weather.
“It can wipe out a project quickly,” Burris said.
The school is located roughly 20 miles or so from Surf City and Topsail Beach, both hurricane zones. Though regular everyday storm conditions also can halt progress. As well, 40% of the the school site contains wetlands, though Moseley has noted it is installing culverts and a pedestrian bridge to preserve the natural landscape.
Burris said MBP will consistently assess cost risks and design errors, ensuring the project meets the standards of the board and taxpayer-funded money.
“We come in as quality assurance,” Rose said, “to make sure the contractor is doing what they’re supposed to do and you’re getting what you paid for.”
The team promised proactive problem-solving and described communication as a key factor. In essence, they vowed to listen to the board on changes it wants to implement and information it wants to review, whether it’s audits or schedules.
MBP also promised thorough budget documentation, but noted the project’s close-out an important factor to the process. The group is still following how operations play out at Tar Heel School in Bladen County, which has been open for two years now.
“The board wants to know they’re getting the value of the project, and it operates properly for the next 15 years before something else is needed for the campus,” Burris said.
Board member Tom Reeves asked whether there is an option to train maintenance staff and ensure the school will be properly cared for after it’s complete.
“That’s on the contractor to train on equipment and is part of the closeout,” Rose said.
Burris suggested the team video the contractor training to refer to at any time: “That way you see, here’s the air handler, this is how it’s done.”
Pender schools’ attorney Brandon McPherson reminded the school board its contract with Bordeaux also has an extended warranty period of two-and-a-half years.
“So you’ll have a lot more ability beyond one year to bring contractors back in if something busts up or breaks or turnover in mechanical or whatever,” he said.
After the presentations, the board went into closed session and upon re-emerging voted on MBP taking the reins at the school site. None of the school board members responded to Port City Daily’s request about their choice to go with MBP.
Chair Burns told Burris, Rose and Miller she “caught a rapport” among them during their presentation. She also pressed them on how Danville could afford three school builds at once; sales tax proceeds from the casino that recently opened there helps finance the facilities, Burris revealed.
“I guess we’ll have to talk to the county commissioners about what we can do to get a casino here in Pender County,” Burns quipped, later turning to the superintendent — “Dr. Breedlove, we have another agenda item for the next priority one meeting.”
The board also voted unanimously to extend the superintendent’s contract through June 30, 2029, and move him from a classified to certified employee.
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