The firm of Fransen Pittman General Contractors, Englewood, CO has been selected by the Design and Development Councils, for pre-construction services.

After interviewing six final candidates, the winner was recommended to Bishop Hanifen and the Colorado Springs Diocesan Building and Properties Commission for approval. Permission was received on December 11th to retain Fransen Pittman (FP) as our contractor to perform pre-construction services for our worship space.

Fransen Pittman General Contractors is a Colorado Corporation, incorporated June, 1994. They are engaged exclusively in commercial construction, both new and remodel. Their resume indicates they have constructed a wide range of building types, including 27 church projects. They build more church buildings than any other contractor in Colorado. They have experience working with Douglas County, Highlands Ranch Metro Districts, Shea Properties, SlaterPaull Architects, and the Archdiocese of Denver. They have not completed any buildings with the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

In November, 2001 the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Colorado gave Fransen Pittman GC two ACE (Award for Construction Excellence) awards for their work on the Spirit of Christ Catholic Community church in Arvada - People's Choice Award for General Contractors and the silver award of merit for General Contractor of the Year in the $3-10 million category.
Ref: Denver Catholic Register

The following information are excerpts from the "Statement of Qualifications" submitted by FP on September 27, 2002. Their response to the St. Mark request for qualifications (RFQ) included sections on: (1)company history and construction experience, (2)religious buildings experience, (3)experience with governing entities, (4)project management plan, (5)key personnel charts and resumes, (6)fees and general conditions, (7)work experience, (8)collaborative relationships, and (9)timeline and budget samples.

Pre-construction Services

Estimating
The first cost estimate is prepared from conceptual, one line drawings. The second is from schematic drawings. At this stage project size and appearance is defined. The third estimate is the design development estimate with major building systems defined while finishes, material options and details are still under development. The fourth, or final estimate, is based on completed construction documents and is bid to multiple subcontractors in each trade.

• Conceptual Estimate -
      sets a baseline cost to determine if the sope of work and budget are in balance.
• Schematic Estimate -
      building systems, skin, and mechanical systems are priced and evaluated.
• Design Development Estimate -
      more detailed evaluation resulting in Guaranteed Maximum Price
• Final Estimate -
      based on completed contract documents - includes competitive bidding
• Continuous Estimating -
      during design stage - continuous ongoing cost analysis

Value Engineering
Value Engineering is a complex process which requires close coordination between owner, architect, engineers, contractor and subcontractors. Design evaluation is viewed in terms of how the building comes together, its constructibility, and how the project can be scheduled for the least cost.
Four major areas of focus during the value engineering process are:

• Systems Evaluation
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Alternate Materials and Methods
• Isolate Areas of Project for Scope Evaluation

Trend Log
As the project evolves, value engineering and alternate pricing continue. The trend log is used to manage pre-construction process between milestone estimates. Each proposed change is evaluated in terms of cost, schedule, and overall impact to project quality. Changes are either accepted or rejected by the owner.