George’s County Education & Community Partners led by Gilbane Building Company has been selected by Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) to design, finance, build, maintain, and operate six public middle schools in Maryland, U.S. Partners in the group include Honeywell (services provider), Stantec (designer & architect of record), Gilbane Building Company (design-build contractor), Gilbane Development Company (developer), and Fengate Asset Management.
The financial cost of the project is expected to be announced in December when the project reaches a financial close. It is estimated that the total contract cost will amount to around $1.2 billion. This is according to a recent paper that the parties presented to the board of education.
PGCPS is one of the largest school districts in the U.S and is located a few miles outside Washington, DC. The school system is ranked among the top 20 in the U.S and is made up of 207 schools and centers. It has the second-oldest school facilities in the state of Maryland. In addition, it has a significant percentage of buildings that need complete renovation or replacement.
This is the first time a design, build, finance, operate, and maintain approach is being used in a US public school system.
In a statement, Darin Early, principal-in-charge at Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners and Gilbane Development Company’s managing director, public-private partnerships said Gilbane appreciates the importance of the schools to the students and the general Prince George’s County community. He added that the innovative partnership will deliver modern and engaging schools and will also ensure maximum local participation and economic inclusion.
Laura Flannery Sachtleben, a global education sector leader for Stantec said the schools will have innovative designs that offer innovative learning experiences that meet the county’s growing enrolment. The schools are poised to change the educational experience in the county and offer engaging spaces that are more adaptable to technology.
