Carter to Oversee $107M School Construction

ATLANTA-Carter, an Atlanta-based full-service real estate company with offices throughout the US, has taken on a 24-month assignment as a program manager for the Enid Public Schools in Enid, Oklahoma. The company will be in charge of a $107-million construction and renovation program, after winning a request for proposals put out by the school system.

Carter’s Program Development Services Group will oversee all aspects of the project which is being funded by a $107 million bond issue approved by residents in February. The company’s responsibilities  will include site selection, architectural review and managing the construction process, among other duties. The school system serves 6800 students in a city of 48,000.

Danny Jardine, a senior vice president at Carter, who joined the company within the last year, has had a lot of experience in K-12 construction projects, says Tony Wilbert, a spokesperson for Carter. “Education is a growth area for Carter and it has always been a core competency even before Danny came on board,” he says.  But with Jardine, “We have a major commitment to this area now,” he says.

The Enid public school system is made up of one high school, three middle schools and ten elementary schools. The bond issue passed in February will fund construction of two elementary schools and extensive renovations and additions at all other schools in the system.

Although Carter has done educational work for years, says Wilbert, part of the increased interest in this sector is that there is no more spec office and industrial work. As a result, Carter has been focusing on education, healthcare, data centers and medical office buildings.

Currently, Carter is reportedly working with Atlanta-based T5 Partners, a data center development firm, which is developing an Apple Computer data center near Charlotte, North Carolina. Carter is doing construction management for the 500,000-square foot data management center, which, according to the Charlotte Business Journal, costs $1 billion. Atlanta-based Holder Construction is the contractor for the project.