Firm Selected to Oversee Campus Improvement Plan

The school board has chosen a Sacramento management firm with local partners to manage a $240-million districtwide campus improvement project, despite the fact that the firm was ranked second by a review panel.

Vanir Construction Management Inc. was the unanimous choice of the five-member school board, although the review panel selected the firm PCM3 of Montrose as its top choice. Vanir also submitted a higher estimate of fee schedules for the 15-year project--$15.3 million compared to PCM3’s estimate of $10.5 million.

Mark Gutheinz, the district’s facilities director, said the district will not pay Vanir’s estimates costs and plans to negotiate on the price. “We were looking for the best-qualified firm,” he said.

Vanir boosted its prospects of securing the initial three-year contract by joining in the management of the project with Clarence J. Broussard & Associates of Irwindale and Pacifica Services Inc. of Pasadena, officials said.

Board President Lisa Fowler said Broussard and Pacifica are minority-owned firms that provide jobs to Pasadena residents. “We were very sensitive to the local community and need to provide job opportunities and ensure diversity,” she said.