Grand Traverse County Approves $27.8M Project Alpha, Groundbreaking Set for Mid-April

Grand Traverse County's 911 dispatchers have outgrown their building. Now, after a March 18 vote, they finally have a construction price tag and a groundbreaking date.

The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution advancing Project Alpha, setting a Guaranteed Maximum Price of $27,795,000 for two new facilities on the county's LaFranier Road campus. Both building sites are expected to be mobilized by April 13, with occupancy targeted between May and June 2027.

The project centers on two structures in Garfield Township: a 13,500-square-foot Emergency Operations and Communications Center to house 911 dispatch and emergency operations, and a 38,000-square-foot Centralized Operations Building that will consolidate Facilities Management and the Commission on Aging's outdoor services, along with departments currently scattered across the county.

The $27,795,000 GMP falls within the budget range established during design development, while folding in an additional $2,250,000 in scope that wasn't part of the original Spring 2025 plan. Those additions include geothermal wells, solar energy systems for both buildings, a potable water well, underground stormwater retention, a snowmelt system, and a rain garden to be designed in collaboration with The Greenspire School. Commissioner Fern Spence and project manager Jerry Tomczak have already begun coordinating with Greenspire students on the rain garden design.

Eighty-four percent of contracted work was awarded to local Grand Traverse County subcontractors. The county describes the GMP as reflecting the most qualified, lowest bids for all required work.

Cunningham-Limp is serving as construction manager, operating under a $285,500 contract to act as the county's representative and project manager. The firm presented the board with the substantial completion date, detailed project specifications, construction drawings, and a milestone schedule. Partners in Architecture, based in Mount Clemens, completed construction documents for both buildings. Monument Engineering Group and the Spicer Group are also involved in the project. Deputy County Administrator Chris Forsyth submitted the recommendation for the board to approve the construction management agreement, which is based on AIA Document 133-2019 and was cleared by the county's civil counsel as to form and legality.

Commissioners also approved a bond resolution to help finance the project, which carries a 45-day referendum period.

One unresolved issue sits beneath the ground: a 75-foot-wide easement crossing the project site contains two natural gas pipelines. The older of the two was installed in the 1950s and sits just 2 feet, 10 inches below grade, built with materials that no longer meet current construction standards. Cunningham-Limp is awaiting an engineering report from DTE to determine how the pipelines may affect design and construction timelines.

Some commissioners raised questions during the process about the costs of outfitting the new buildings with necessary operational equipment, a figure that has not yet been publicly itemized.