The expansive design process for a new high school and five new or renovated elementary schools remains on schedule and on budget.
During a series of community meetings in July, community members got a closer look at the revised initial site and building plans for all six projects. The revisions were due to community feedback gathered at the May 8 and 9 community meetings as well as construction estimates in June coming in higher than expected.
At the end of the schematic design phase, the second of the four phases in the design process, the estimates of construction costs for the high school in particular came in above the amount allocated for the project.
“We have to stay on budget. There is no mechanism to go over budget,” Superintendent Paul Imhoff shared. “We also have to stay on schedule because if you start to lose weeks and months in the construction schedule that actually costs you money.”
There were two main drivers for the higher than expected construction estimates for the high school, Imhoff said: the 8-foot difference in elevation between Brandon and Mount Holyoke roads, and the expenses associated with moving all of that dirt by reconfiguring all elements of the site, as well as the cost of a stormwater retention system as required by code.
“All of those things added up to millions and millions of dollars,” Imhoff noted.
In order to keep the process on schedule and on budget, the Board of Education tasked the design and construction team for the high school to provide solutions to align the estimates with the budget “without sacrificing even one part of the academic program,” Imhoff said. “The Board of Education has made it clear throughout this whole project that what matters most is the academic program.”
The result of the design team’s work is an updated site and building plan that:
- Rebuilds Marv Moorehead Stadium in place — with new home bleachers, a new press box, a new track, new north entrance, visitor locker rooms, and new energy efficient lights. The turf, which was installed in 2013 and has years of life left, will remain, as will the visitor bleachers and the light posts.
- Reorganizes the academic building into three stories, instead of four, without losing any academic spaces.
- Retains the front door on Zollinger Road for better access for first responders in the event of an emergency, as recommended by the community members on the Financial Advisory Board during the facilities master planning process.
“We did not lose a classroom, we did not lose a collaboration space, and we were able to stay on our budget,” Imhoff said.
Steven Turckes, an architect with Perkins + Will, noted that aligning the scope of construction projects with the budget is a “normal, routine” part of the design process and praised the Board of Education for the outcome.
“Hats off to the Board of Education,” he said. “They really kept their eye on the ball and focused on academics.”
To view the updated draft building and site plans, a video of the community meeting and feedback from the community, please visit www.uaschools.org/facilities. If you have questions about the draft plans or the design process, please email [email protected] or call (614) 487-5030.