The Peoria Public School Board of Education will meet tonight to discuss this agenda. I’ve reprinted it below for your perusal (click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below). I’d just like to comment on two items.
First, under item #9, they say they want to “engage the firm LZT / Perkins + Will to work . . . on the programming phase of the new school construction.” The programming phase is where they write up a “program statement” which explains exactly what they want to get out of the new building: what spaces are needed (classrooms, lunchroom, auditorium, lab, etc.), each space’s size and purpose, how the spaces relate to each other, etc. This is used to help them come up with cost estimates and conceptual designs.
My question is, why do they need two architectural firms to do this, and how were they chosen? They list “LZT / Perkins + Will” as if it’s one business. But LZT & Associates is a separate company (based in Peoria) from Perkins + Will, based out of Chicago. Are they saying they’re going to choose one of these two based on who will provide the service at a lower cost? If they’re planning to engage them both, what unique deliverables are expected of each firm? LZT has designed expansions for Columbia and Von Steuben Middle Schools, and is currently working on the Civic Center exhibit hall expansion. Perkins + Will doesn’t appear to have ever done anything in Peoria, if their website is any indication.
Secondly, I’m fascinated that they are poised to renew their contract with Aramark (item #10), the food service vendor that provides food so horrible that Oliver Twist would rather have gone hungry than ask for more of it. Is nutrition an area where we really want to take the lowest bid? Does quality count for anything in this process?