WU sets aside $6M to renovate Phelps

By Jonathan McFadden

mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com

Leitner Construction will tackle the job of renovating Phelps Hall in the upcoming months.

After being shut down for almost six months, Phelps will be fine-tuned and updated starting late November or early December, said  Walter Hardin, associate vice president for facilities management.

Phelps was shut down to students during the summer so its ventilation and plumbing systems could be renovated.

During that lapse, 32 companies attended a pre-bid conference to determine which one would obtain the job of renovating Phelps.

Thirteen of those companies submitted a bid.

Leitner Construction, the same company that constructed the DiGiorgio Campus Center, submitted the lowest bid and was awarded the job.

Phelps’ renovation by Leitner Construction is just phase two of the overall  renovation plan for the residence hall.

Before Leitner Construction can begin reconstructing Phelps, it must undergo demolition and asbestos removal by EHG Corporation.

“They [EHG Corporation] have done work on campus before and they do a really good job,” Hardin said.
Leitner Construction will start the renovation process 90 days after EHG Corporation’s start date for demolition.

Actual renovation for Phelps will probably begin sometime early in the spring semester, said Cynthia Cassens, director for Residence Life. 

Once Phelps is reopened, the 67-year-old residence hall will feature more handicap accessibility and sinks in the actual bedrooms instead of the bathrooms.

Cassens said decisions regarding the gender mix of Phelps once it reopens can’t be determined until almost a year from now.

Winthrop submitted a proposal to bidders that was drafted almost a year ago. In the proposal, adding a ramp in the lobby and the new sink arrangement were discussed.

Winthrop is currently in the state process of awarding a bid, which includes a protest period.

During this period, other bidders have the chance to protest the award.

“To do this, they must show cause,” Hardin said.

Causes can range from having improperly licensed subcontractors to adding or deleting something from the specifications, Hardin said.

“In my 24 years, we have had only a few bid protests,” Hardin said. “They are
not the norm, but the protest period is mandatory.”

Jack Leitner, vice president of Leitner Construction, said there is no reason to believe that companies will find any causes to protest Leitner Construction’s bid.

Winthrop and Leitner Construction have maintained a good relationship since the 1970s, when Leitner’s father, Max Leitner, began doing projects at Winthrop.

Leitner said Winthrop is a good place to work, and it’s fortunate that they were able to get the renovation job.

The bid’s cost is within Winthrop’s budget, Hardin said.

Hardin did not reveal the budget amount for renovations, but on Nov. 5, Winthrop’s Board of Trustees passed a $6-million allowance to finance Phelps’ renovation.

The board is hoping renovations won’t cost more than $5.2 million.

Renovation is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012, and Phelps is anticipated to reopen in fall 2012.