Business & Tech
Source Says BSI Nabs Massive MICDS Contract
Clayco's Bob Clark allegedly disappointed at snub.
According to a source who is an executive in the construction industry Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) has selected BSI Constructors to be the general contractor for the Ladue school’s new science, technology, engineering and math facility.
The James McDonnell family recently donated $21.5 million to MICDS, which will be used to build the facility that is being touted by the school as the most advanced in the region.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) facility will feature lab space dedicated to research in plant sciences with access to a greenhouse and classrom/labs 30 percent larger than standard classrooms.
MICDS officials visited and Clayton high schools along with several prestigious private schools across the U.S. while tweaking their model for the facility.
A call to BSI vice president Tim Hudwalker was directed to Northstar Management Co. principal Ken Kadel who is the MICDS project manager.
Kadel declined to comment and Patch was put in touch with MICDS. A representative from MICDS had not yet reached Patch for comment.
According to the source, the selection of BSI has left a bad taste in the mouth of longtime MICDS donor, parent and contractor Bob Clark, president of Clayco.
Clayco, based in Overland, is one of the nation's largest privately owned real estate, architecture, engineering, design/build and construction firms.
The source further related that Clayco employees have been, “openly talking about Clark’s displeasure with the MICDS selection of BSI as the general contractor for the project.”
“(Clayco employees are saying) they have been the general contractor on numerous MICDS projects in the past and Clark has been a longtime donor to the school and two of his children are MICDS graduates.”
Clayco has yet to return a call seeking comment.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the selection process was a competitive one featuring four to six construction management firm finalists for the project tentatively scheduled to break ground in the summer of 2012 or 2013 depending on fundraising.