Value Engineering Helps Middletown Stay Under Budget

Challenge

Boating is a pastime enjoyed by locals and visitors alike in the City of Middletown, Connecticut. So it’s no wonder the condition of boating-related facilities is of the utmost importance to the city just south of Hartford. In fact, Middletown applied for and received a grant to install a walk-in boat launch to support the Coginchaug River watersports community. Coginchaug River is a main tributary of the Mattabesset River, a popular canoeing and kayaking route that did not offer easy access for kayakers to get their boats in and out of the water. In 2010, the city was awarded a piece of land, and while they cleared a path in 2012, progress stalled on the boat launch project. Middletown officials had an extraordinary challenge, for which they sought an out-of-the-box solution.

Solution

The city is a member of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), a cooperative purchasing network that allows public agencies to take advantage of volume discounts on furniture, supplies and other products and services, including construction. Through CRCOG, the city accessed ezIQC® to help manage the procurement process and control costs. In a matter of weeks, local contractor Pat Munger Construction was aboard for the boat launch project.

Armed with a solution, the city moved ahead to secure permits and review environmental impact. The project sailed along until they hit a large snag. Initially, the project estimate came in at $112,936, exceeding the grant. Using ezIQC, the contractor, the city and Gordian collaborated on a mutually beneficial solution. The scope of the project was revised, material substitutions and other changes were made to bring the cost down to $44,768. This figure was well within budget and allowed city officials to achieve their project goals. Had Middletown used the traditional bidding process, this collaboration could not have happened and the project would have had to start over.

Result

Pat Munger Construction built a beautiful boat launch quickly and efficiently and, most importantly, within budget. By using ezIQC, the city enjoyed significant cost savings, value-engineering opportunities and flexibility. Before the boat launch, paddlers had to launch their canoe or kayak further away and then paddle a half-hour upstream in the Connecticut River. After years of planning and waiting, canoers and kayakers now have a calm and convenient area to slide their boats directly into the water.