By JIM BUTLER

The Renaissance board is seeking proposals for shifting construction of its expansion from a traditional approach to one it thinks more suited to the project’s complexities.

About $38 million in grant funding is involved in the addition of beds to accommodate juvenile offenders, with multiple parishes as well as state agencies involved.

Ordinarily public construction goes through design, then competitive bids on basis of the design and specifications, then construction.

The Construction Management at Risk method involves the chosen contractor involved in the project from the design get-go.

It also sets a fixed maximum price and timeline.

The board has created a committee to review applications for the construction job. Members are Police Jury President Craig Smith, Sheriff Mark Wood or designate, DA Phillip Terrell or designate, architect representative Bill Aldridge and contractor representative Wayne Vollman.

While that process unfolds the board is tending to related issues:

• Asking the state Interim Emergency Board to shift $1 million previously appropriated for a new 16-bed addition to the overall expansion;
• Negotiating buyout of a farm lease in order to sublease property for the detention facility;
• Testing of subsoil to assure capability for hosting the facility.