Roy Lester Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas, where Suffolk Construction was selected for the first two phases of a rebuild under a contract capped at $207.36 million.
The Public Finance Authority has approved up to $207.36 million for the first two phases of the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital rebuild and nearly $91 million more to advance demolition, design and early construction work across six facilities in the St. Thomas educational bundle.
The hospital contract was awarded to Suffolk Construction Company, while the school funding comes through an amendment for the Suffolk CBNA joint venture already working on the education projects under Rebuild USVI.
The nearly $91 million school amendment will support work connected to the demolition and rebuilding of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Lockhart K-8 School, Janie Tuitt Elementary School, Yvonne Milliner Bowsky Elementary School, Emmanuel Benjamin Oliver School and the administrative center included in the St. Thomas educational bundle.
The additional funding comes after construction costs increased significantly from estimates used when the project was formalized last August, forcing design teams to revisit portions of the plans.
Office of Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien said the resulting value-engineering process has substantially reduced anticipated costs.
The discussions “have resulted in design adjustments and revisions that total 13.2 million and provide an estimated total construction savings of $108.8 million,” she said.
The new funding will advance work that is already underway or approaching construction. Demolition at Emmanuel Benjamin Oliver School is scheduled to begin before the end of the year, while work at Lockhart K-8 and Yvonne Milliner Bowsky is expected to begin next month.
Design work across the facilities is currently between 30 and 60 percent complete, Ms. Williams-Octalien told board members.
Despite the earlier cost escalation, she said the revised designs remain within the overall construction estimates for the bundle.
“We are right in line with what the industry standards are.”
The PFA board approved the amendment without challenge.
Suffolk Selected for Schneider Hospital Rebuild
Board members separately approved Suffolk Construction Company to demolish and rebuild the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas.
Three bids were submitted for the project, with Suffolk receiving the highest evaluation score, according to Assistant Executive Delivery Management Tawana Nicholas.
“Suffolk provided a transparent approach relative to equipment rental and continuous estimating services throughout the project life, which would minimize dependency on waiting on design deliverables,” she said.
The contract covers the first two phases of the hospital project and carries a ceiling of $207,359,508.
Ms. Nicholas said that after the second phase is completed and the bulk of construction is finished, ODR staff expect to “return to the governing board for a minimal number of approvals related to amendments.”
The PFA board also approved the Schneider Hospital contract without opposition.
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