Construction Management at Risk in Aurora and the East Metro
A guaranteed maximum price, open-book bidding and early builder input for medical, campus, school and public projects in the east and southeast metro.
A $644 million, 820,000 square foot university hospital opened on the Anschutz Medical Campus in 2007, on a campus of 256 acres where nearly 25,000 faculty and staff work. Large institutional owners in the Aurora area build in that environment: occupied buildings, shared utilities, regulated spaces and a calendar set by patients, semesters or elections rather than by weather.
Construction management at risk, usually shortened to CM at risk or CMAR, is a delivery method suited to that kind of owner. The owner hires the architect separately, then hires the construction manager early, during design. The construction manager advises on cost, schedule and constructability, and at an agreed point commits to a guaranteed maximum price for the work. Beyond that price, the risk of cost overruns is ours.
We provide CM at risk services for owners who want a builder's input before the drawings are finished and a firm commitment on price before the work begins.
What owners should weigh before choosing CMAR
CM at risk is not the right choice for every project. It works best when the owner values early cost input, expects design to evolve, needs to start work before all drawings are complete, or will work in or beside an operating facility. It adds a preconstruction fee, and it relies on trust and transparency between owner, designer and builder.
Compare it with the alternatives. A lump-sum bid gives price certainty after design is done but little builder input before. Design-build puts the designer and builder under one contract, which can speed delivery but changes the owner's relationship with the architect. CMAR keeps the architect independent, which many institutional owners prefer, and still gives a guaranteed price. We explain these differences plainly and recommend the method that fits.
From selection to guaranteed maximum price
During design we provide estimates at each milestone, review drawings for constructability and coordination, evaluate site logistics and phasing, and identify long-lead items. We divide the work into bid packages that match how the market works, with clear scopes and alternates, so subcontractors bid on the same work and the owner sees comparable prices.
Bids are received openly and reviewed with the owner and architect. Once enough packages are bought, we establish the guaranteed maximum price with a defined contingency, allowances and a fee. Savings from buyout and contingency are handled as the contract states, and the owner can audit our costs. That transparency is the reason many public and institutional owners choose this method.
Services during preconstruction and construction
Before construction, our scope includes estimating, scheduling, value engineering, constructability review, logistics planning, subcontractor prequalification, and procurement of long-lead items. During construction, we manage the site, safety, quality, schedule, cost control, submittals and closeout, and we report to the owner as the work proceeds, with monthly cost reports that tie to the guaranteed maximum price line by line.
On a campus, the scope grows. It includes utility shutdown coordination, infection control risk assessments, temporary egress, noise and vibration limits, security badging, and the many approvals a facilities department requires. We coordinate with the owner's operations team on all of these and put them in the schedule, with a standing weekly meeting for the facilities group, the architect and our superintendent. Our phased construction on occupied sites practice is built around this kind of coordination.
Working beside patients, students and staff
Safety on an institutional site covers the public as well as the workforce. We separate construction from patient, student and visitor routes, control dust and noise at the source, protect air handling and keep fire alarm and egress systems active. Work in healthcare areas follows the owner's infection control requirements, with barriers, negative pressure and cleaning protocols written into the plan.
The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and Children's Hospital Colorado, both near the Anschutz campus, show what a medical district looks like: large buildings, constant activity, ambulances and families moving through the same streets. A builder working there coordinates deliveries, crane picks and road closures with neighbors as well as the owner. We prepare those plans before mobilization and keep a single contact for all stakeholders.
Related work around a managed project
CM at risk often accompanies healthcare construction, where the owner needs a builder who understands licensing, infection control and equipment coordination, and where medical office buildings and clinics share the campus with hospitals.
The method is also used on the city and district side, in schools, libraries, recreation centers and public works, where the owner is accountable for public funds. The open-book process gives those owners the documentation they need for audits and public reporting.
Owners who choose CMAR
Our CM at risk work is aimed at healthcare systems, universities, school districts and government and public sector owners. These owners tend to have an established capital planning process, dedicated project managers and strict reporting needs.
Large redevelopment areas call for the same discipline. The Fitzsimons site, a former Army medical center of 577 acres that closed in 1996, has been redeveloped with a projected value of $5 billion, and the Anschutz Medical Campus and the Fitzsimons Life Science District now hold hospitals, research labs and commercial lab buildings side by side. Work in an area like that benefits from a construction manager who knows how to schedule around neighbors.
Talk through your delivery method
Tell us about the project, the owner's procurement rules and your target opening. We will lay out how CM at risk would work and how it compares to other methods.
Questions Owners Ask
When does the guaranteed maximum price get set?
Usually when design has progressed far enough for the major packages to be bid, often at the end of design development or partway through construction documents. Some projects set it earlier and use allowances for the rest. We recommend a point that balances price certainty with schedule.
What does the owner need to staff on its side?
A project manager with authority to approve changes, access to the facilities and operations teams, and a clear process for approving payment applications. CM at risk relies on quick decisions, and we set a decision calendar with the owner at the start so that reviews do not hold up bid packages.
Who owns the savings on a CMAR project?
The contract states it. Common approaches return all savings to the owner, share them with the construction manager, or use savings to fund owner-requested additions. We discuss the structure before signing so there are no surprises.
Can we start construction before design is finished?
Yes. Early packages such as sitework, foundations, structural steel and long-lead equipment can be bid and started while later design continues. Each early package must be defined well enough to bid, and we plan the sequence with the architect.
How is CMAR different from design-build?
In CMAR the owner keeps a separate contract with the architect, and the builder advises as an independent party. In design-build, the builder holds both roles. Owners choose based on how much control they want over design and how they prefer to manage risk.
How do you handle subcontractor selection for public owners?
We prequalify subcontractors, advertise packages where required, receive bids openly and recommend awards with the owner. The record of bids and the evaluation is available for audit.