Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement Project (ASAP 1)
Location: Calgary and Edmonton (18 schools)
Status: In Operation
Value of Partnership: $634 million
Type of P3: DBFM
Handback: 2040
Awards: 2010 Gold Award for Infrastructure and 2008 Award of Merit for Social Infrastructure Procurement, National Awards for Innovation & Excellence in P3s
Struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding population, four school boards in Edmonton and Calgary identified the need for 18 new schools. In June 2007, the Government of Alberta opted to construct the new schools through a P3 – consolidating the design, construction and maintenance into a single project.
In September 2008, the Alberta government entered into a P3 agreement with BBPP Alberta Schools Limited. The 18 schools (nine in Calgary and nine in Edmonton) were completed one month earlier than the contracted completion date of June 30, 2010 and are attended by 12,000 students in kindergarten through Grade 9.
The project marked the first time the province used a P3 bundling agreement and the project's success led to additional P3 school bundlng projects.
By using a P3 to design, build, finance and maintain the 18 schools, it was estimated the Alberta government saved $97 million over 32 years (in 2007 dollars) compared to a traditional approach ($634 million instead of $731 million, a 13 per cent savings).
The schools, which remain publicly owned, were also built two years sooner than the traditional procurement model because of proper incentives, including an early completion bonus and payment reductions for late completion.
The ASAP 1 project had a tight timeline and there were multiple obstacles to beginning construction including site zoning, municipal permits and the discovery of buried waste oil at one site. The project also needed to provide flexibility in the design to reflect rapid demographic changes.
The most noteworthy engineering feature of the schools is the core/modular design. Constructing schools to one of three core designs dramatically shortened timelines and increased cost savings — a critical factor in the project’s success. The innovative modular classrooms (which fit seamlessly onto the core buildings, offering a significant advancement over traditional portables) enable individual school districts to accommodate changing enrolment levels quickly and efficiently.
Schools were designed to last for 50 years and withstand up to 10 moves. The core/modular design approach also allowed for a large volume of work to be completed quickly and sustainably.
All 18 schools were built to meet LEED® Silver standards to reduce energy use. Energy efficiency measures include computerized control systems to regulate heating and lighting, as well as photo-electric sensors and motion detectors to turn off lights in unused rooms. A displacement ventilation system uses less electricity and provides better air circulation in the schools.
Payments to the private sector consortium over the 30-year project agreement depends on availability of classrooms and the consortium’s performance.
Partners: Alberta Education, on behalf of Edmonton Public School Board, Edmonton Catholic School Board, Calgary Public School Board, Calgary Catholic School Board, and BBPP Alberta Schools Limited
BBPP Alberta Schools Limited consists of GVest GP Inc. – Developer & Equity Provider; Graham Design Builders – Joint Constructor; Bird Construction – Joint Constructor; A.D. Williams – Joint Designer; Barr Ryder Architects – Joint Designer; Enermodal Engineering Ltd. – Joint Designer; GEC Architecture – Joint Designer
