Broaddus & Associates was retained by Hays County to provide project management services on the 3-story, 232,000 SF Hays County Government Center in San Marcos, TX. The center includes multiple county functions including commissioners’ offices and courtroom, district courtrooms, treasury, tax assessor, sheriff’s department, justices of the peace, and several others for a total of 19 different departments and approximately 400 employees. The project was completed by utilizing the design-build delivery method. Broaddus & Associates provided pre-project services, as well as project management from the design and construction phases through the owner-occupancy/warranty periods.

At the time Broaddus & Associates was retained, the total project cost had risen to approximately $118M. The Hays County Court directed Broaddus & Associates to reduce cost and maintain the original schedule of completion. After extensive analysis by Broaddus & Associates’ staff of architects, engineers, planners, and project managers, Broaddus & Associates offered the County three design and construction alternatives that would put the project within a budget and timeline, which led to a unanimous decision by the Court to approve going forward with the project.

From more than 22 respondents, Broaddus & Associates led the selection of the Balfour Beatty/HDR design-build team to create a new, less costly design. The new design was more functional, aesthetically appealing, and sustainable. Through a process of “right-sizing” the program by Broaddus & Associates’ planning group, the new design achieved the County’s goal of retaining all original departments and staff, with space for expansion.

With a new budget of $72M, subsequently reduced to $63.8M through effective management of design and bidding, the new total project cost represented savings from the original projected cost to the current projected cost of more than $54M ($22M due to a 60,000 GSF reduction and $29M due to a more cost-effective design). Despite foregoing the original design and beginning the process all over, Broaddus & Associates was able to conduct a new RFQ and RFP process, decrease the total project cost, assist in selection of a design-build team, and begin design proceedings in the span of just five months. The project began construction in April 2010 and was completed in December 2011, the project’s original completion date.