Cape Girardeau School District's building projects on track

With much of the Cape Girardeau School District's $40 million schools improvement plan taking shape on paper, project leaders provided school board members with the "road map" to completion Monday evening.

During a work session before its February meeting, the Cape Girardeau School Board received an update on what is expected to soon be a burst of building activity -- with bids coming in on a number of major projects.

"We're about three projects away from completion on design," said project manager Keith Fairchild, with McCarthy Building Cos., the construction management firm leading the building campaign financed through voter approval of last year's $40 million bond issue.

Construction continues on upgrades and additions to Alma Schrader, Clippard and Jefferson elementary schools, a combined $10.6 million in building projects. Work is expected to be completed in July, according to preliminary preconstruction schedule, the district's improvement plan road map. If the numbers hold, those projects are expected to come in about 10 percent under budget.

Bids recently came in on the estimated $3 million Cape Girardeau Central High School Event Complex project. More savings are anticipated.

"We're really happy with the way the bids came in," said Neil Glass, the district's director of administrative services. He declined to release the bid information at this time. The bids did not include artificial turf, and Glass advised the board that if turf is part of the stadium building plans, he needs to get requests for proposals out soon. The project is expected to be ready for the 2011 football season.

Design work is finished on the $10 million Franklin Elementary building. Board members saw updated designs for the project, which is expected to include many of the "characteristics" of the old building, set for demolition after the new building is completed. Bid packages are due next week.

Final architectural renderings on the high school's planned $8.3 million Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall are expected in the next week, with bids due in early April. Glass said the designs were updated to reflect preferences for a more conservative, flowing look.

A July bid schedule is set for Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School's $2.3 million project, including a planned library addition that Glass says will be a "showpiece."

School Board president Paul Nenninger asked about how the library will fit into the building's enhanced security plan.

"All these [doors] will have the open-door position switches, so that the office will be notified if one of the doors is opened," Glass said.

Bids also are expected in July for the high school's planned $4.3 million classroom addition project, which is slated for 16 rooms but could include six to eight more. Glass said the extra space is needed, and if bid numbers continue to come in lower than expected, the expanded alternate plan could be put into action.

But there are concerns on the horizon.

"We don't know where the material costs are going to go with the rising fuel costs," Glass said. "That's kind of a concern for us right now."

"Barring any type of mishap," Glass said all phases of construction should be wrapped up by the end of 2012.

mkittle@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau MO