Park District Seeks Flexibility in Managing McCollum Park Work

Park district staff are usually very knowledgeable about recreation trends, turf management and municipal budgeting, but not about overseeing large construction projects. That's why general contractors oversee most of the major work done in Downers Grove Park District parks and facilities.

But the upcoming major upgrades to McCollum Park will require precisely managed timelines so as to minimize the disruption to activities at the heavily-used park. On Thursday night, the Park Board approved using a construction management process, which will give staff more control over the timing of work at the park.

Director of Parks Todd Reese explained that general contractors, used for most park projects, are a “one-stop shopping” method providing one point of contact for staff. General contractors handle all subcontracting, scheduling, procurement and safety issues.

Construction managers, by contrast, are firms that work only on specific parts of a project for specific fees, allowing the park district more control over bidding and scheduling. While the construction management process requires more staff time, staff believes this method presents an opportunity to save between $50,000 and $75,000 on the McCollum project, Reese said.

One reason for proposing construction management is because the McCollum work needs to be managed in a way that is the least disruptive to park activities, He said. Also, park staff has had “quality, schedule and completion issues” with general contractors on some recent projects.

In addition, the downturn in the construction market means the park district can potentially attract bids from a large pool of companies that normally might consider the McCollum project too small, Reese said.

“With construction management, you get to choose your contractors,” added Administrator Dan Cermak. “With a general contractor, you take what you get.”

Reese said the park district's attorney recommended that the board approve the change in project management methods because, as with auditing or information technology services, construction managers are by state law exempt from the competitive bidding process.

Work at the park will include a second concession area and 65 new parking spaces on the south end, a new north plaza entrance and picnic pavilion and the creation of a tennis court seating plaza.

Park staff will send out Requests for Qualifications to local companies with the goal of recommending a firm to the board by mid-March.