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Residents briefed on school project |
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Tuesday, 13 November 2007 |
By KAY LOUTH
Staff Writer
NEW KNOXVILLE — An almost $ 9 million building project in New Knoxville opened its doors Monday for residents to get a glimpse.
Funded by a 0.25 percent income tax and a 3.3-mill real estate tax, the $8.9 million New Knoxville building project is “on schedule and on budget,” school board member Craig Leffel told The Evening Leader. The Ohio School Facilities Commission share of the project is $5.6 million. The project includes renovation of 77,000 square feet of space and an addition to the school.
The district opened its doors and the construction project to the public Monday night in a community update and approximately two dozen people turned out to see how things are going.
Leffel told the crowd the first project contractors did was build a 48-by-64 maintenance shed at a cost of $50,847 — a project Leffel said was built using local funds. Contractors must still install electric lines, insulation, a rest room and an HVAC unit.
Leffel said the bidding process on the electric portion hit a snag when only two firms submitted bids on the project. The bids also came in $500,000 over budget, which forced board members to go back to the drawing board and review their electrical needs.
“We went back to the drawing board,” Leffel said.
They made the decision to remove some ornamental light fixtures, a sound system in the old and new gym and the theater lighting control system. The revisions reduced the budget overflow to $40,000.
Leffel also brought community members up to speed on a list of accomplishments in recent months.
The list includes: Excavation for parking and entrance, curbing, detention pond, the installation of catch basins and drainage tile, modular classrooms in place, elementary classroom renovations and additional classrooms, infill and gym entrance, Industrial Art and band room renovation, a new transformer installed and the movement of underground electric and gas lines.
Leffel also told the audience about the change orders — 27 in all — which reduced the budget by $75,000. One also included reusing the junior high gym floor.
Change orders totaled $98,000, of which New Knoxville is responsible for $40,000. Some of the projects include a firewall between gym and industrial tech, modify electric service to modulars and skim coating some classroom walls to make the surface suitable for white boards.
Leffel reported the district will replace all single pane windows in the building but that the double pane windows will be updated with new seal, caulk and hardware.
The 1938 building exterior will be tuck-pointed and power washed and then sealed. The high school gym floor will be replaced. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 November 2007 )
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