Chicago Public Schools Capital Improvement Program

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is the third largest in the nation. The CIP includes the construction of new high schools and elementary schools, as well as the renovation of numerous facilities within the City of Chicago’s school system. For several years, JWI served as part of a team of Construction Managers and Owner Representatives for the CIP.

During the course of the contract with CPS, JWI’s role increased in responsibility from estimating and preconstruction document review, to providing construction management throughout the entire construction process, to our current role as Senior Program Manager. Duties associated with the CIP included working as the Owner’s liaison in managing the Public Building Commission (PBC). The PBC acts as the CPS’s design and construction agency of choice in executing the Mayor’s Modern Schools Across Chicago (MSAC) initiative of building 25 facilities over a six-year period totaling an approximately $1.6 billion investment.

JWI was also heavily involved with the creation, implementation, and review of Design Standards and Guidelines for the MSAC Program as well as in-house standards for asset work and renovation.