Construction Manager at Riskin progress
Status set at the School Board Regular Meeting on Sep 14, 2026
Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) is a construction delivery method being pursued by the school district for the Providence and Daniels Run Elementary School renovation projects.
Unlike traditional design-bid-build, CMAR brings a construction manager on board early in the design process and ultimately provides a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Several prerequisite steps were required before the district could formally adopt this approach: the City of Fairfax updated its purchasing policy on March 24, 2026 to allow alternative delivery methods; city council consent was sought on a per-project basis (two consent agenda items for Providence and Daniels Run were placed on the June 9, 2026 city council agenda); and licensed architects already under contract satisfied a state code requirement. As of the September 14, 2026 board meeting, the district had completed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) — receiving a strong field of responses — evaluated and scored submissions through a committee process, created a short list, and issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to shortlisted offerors, with site visits upcoming.
The next step is to work through city council to award a CMAR contract, with the goal of having the construction manager engaged and working alongside designers in fall 2026, before design development begins.
Still open
- RFP responses from shortlisted CMAR offerors are pending evaluation and a contract award recommendation has not yet been made.
- City council must act to authorize the CMAR contract award before the board can proceed.
- The board must formally decide to award the CMAR contract once city council concurrence is obtained.
- The CMAR must be on board before design development (detailed drawings) begins — timing of that transition is still being managed.
What members have said
At the May 18, 2026 work session, Dr. Wright introduced the CMAR delivery method as still under consideration — not yet decided — and walked the board through the sequence of prerequisites: the city's March 24 purchasing policy change, the need for city council consent on a per-project basis (scheduled for June 9), and the state code requirement for a licensed architect under contract. He emphasized that the board would ultimately be brought back to make the formal decision on whether to proceed with CMAR.
At the September 14, 2026 regular meeting, Dan Nebhut (Brailsford & Dunlavey) presented the CMAR RFP process and its schedule as part of the capital projects program review, reporting that the RFQ had drawn a strong response, a committee had evaluated and scored submissions to produce a short list, and the RFP had recently been issued to that short list, with site visits coming the following week.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
councilcommissionMinutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting, Apr 1, 2025 onward.
History
Filled dots are actions on this topic; open dots are mentions.
- May 18, 2026School Board · item 1.02Renovation Update – Dr. Dustin Wright, Superintendent
[1.02] Dr. Wright discussed the potential use of a Construction Manager at Risk delivery method for the renovation project.
- Capital Projects Update
[2.06] Dan Nebhut presented the request for proposals for the Construction Manager at Risk process and its schedule as part of the capital projects program review.