Jekyll Island Authority Awards Construction Contract for Beach Village Revitalization Project

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) Board of Directors approved the selection of Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC of Kennesaw, Georgia as the general contractor for construction of the new beach village revitalization project at their regular monthly meeting today. The beach village project includes public infrastructure and assets in addition to site preparation for private hotel and retail development. Brasfield & Gorrie will work with the JIA design team which includes senior staff, a construction management consultant and members of the HHCP Architecture and Engineering team to complete this vital project.

The JIA's selection committee used the "Best Value" selection process to identify the top firm. Pre-qualified firms were required to submit a written project proposal, a sealed pricing proposal and attend an interview with the selection committee. An overall ranking was determined through an established scoring system in which sixty percent (60%) of the evaluation was based on the sealed pricing proposal and forty percent (40%) attributed to the respondent's project proposal and interview. The selection committee submitted a unanimous recommendation for Brasfield & Gorrie to the JIA Board which was voted on at their regular meeting.

"This bid award is another important milestone that has been successfully completed and keeps revitalization on track," stated JIA Chairman Bob Krueger. "Staff and our architect HHCP did an excellent job managing the design work and the result is a lower-than-expected bid."

The price proposal is $30,608,000 which is 16.5% lower than the project budget. In addition to a competitive price proposal, Brasfield & Gorrie also scored high with their ability to self-perform significant portions of the work, their approach to tree protection, public outreach and their guarantee of the project schedule. The Brasfield & Gorrie project team members have recent experience with the Loews Hotel & Conference Center in Atlanta, the Marriott Convention Hotel in College Park, Georgia, the Piedmont Park Expansion and the Georgia Aquarium also in Atlanta.

"We are thrilled to be selected for this important project," stated Jim Gorrie, President of Brasfield & Gorrie. "We are a Georgia contractor, Jekyll Island is a beloved Georgia destination and we have assembled the very best team who are committed to bringing their very best work to this project."

Construction on the Jekyll Island beach village revitalization project will begin in October 2010. The project includes demolition of the existing retail strip shopping center and the convention center. The newly constructed 129,000 sq. ft. convention center, like all future development on Jekyll Island, will be LEED-certified.

Construction on the new convention center along with two new hotels, 40,000 sq. ft. of retail space that include 60 loft units in a village setting with integrated public plaza, village green and park space is scheduled for completion in 2012.

"We had some excellent firms bid on this project," stated Jones Hooks, JIA Executive Director. "In the end, we felt like it was the shared values and shared vision for the importance of this project that set Brasfield & Gorrie apart."

Related to the beach village construction project, the JIA Board also approved the hiring of Advanced AEC Solutions, LLC to serve as owner's representative and construction management services. AEC will represent the JIA's interests during beach village construction and ensure the successful timely project delivery of the new convention center and site development. Advanced AEC Solutions has experience with other convention center projects including The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, Cobb Galleria in Atlanta and Evergreen Conference Center in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

About Jekyll Island

Located on Georgia's coast, Jekyll Island with its rich history and quiet, laid-back atmosphere has attracted vacationers for more than one hundred years.  Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of beach, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, four golf courses, a large water park, 20 miles of bike paths, a tennis center, and an array of lodging options including hotels, cottages and campgrounds.  Owned by the state of Georgia and managed by the Jekyll Island Authority, the island's development is limited to just 35% of the available land area to preserve the critical barrier island ecosystem.  Great lengths have been taken to honor this ratio as the highly anticipated revitalization of Jekyll Island moves forward.  By 2012, the island will boast three new hotels, an all-new beachfront convention center with more than 78,000 square feet of function space, a beautifully redesigned entry corridor to the island, beach village shopping and dining area and many more enhancements. 

About Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC

Brasfield & Gorrie is a general contractor ranking 228 on the Forbes list of America's Largest Privately Held Companies and serves its clients from offices in Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, Nashville, Orlando and Raleigh. Engineering News-Record ranks the firm 27th among the nation's Top 400 Contractors. Brasfield & Gorrie provides general contracting, design-build and construction management services for a wide variety of projects, including commercial, institutional, government, healthcare, municipal, and industrial and treatment markets.

SOURCE Jekyll Island Authority