HIGH SCHOOL DOWN TO $24.9 MILLION

Glenn Construction Co. of St. Louis presented the Cape Girardeau Board of Education an aggressive schedule to complete construction of a new high school within 33 months for $24.9 million during a special board meeting Thursday.

The presentation, the third received by the board since December, was the first to come in under the $25 million ceiling the school board has set.

Glenn has completed 36 school projects in the St. Louis area, including six high schools, since 1992. Three additional renovation projects are scheduled for completion in September.

"Every one of them has been on schedule and on budget," said company president Jim Glenn.

Glenn said, if hired, his company would begin immediately to act as program manager for the project. Representatives would begin preparing information and initiating cost estimates necessary to get voter approval of an $18 million bond issue in April to finance the project.

The district would be charged $27,000 for those services.

If the bond issue passes, the company would charge the district an additional $870,000, payable in monthly installments of $30,000, to work with architects to complete a building design, develop bid packages, evaluate bids and write contracts, direct and coordinate contractors and suppliers, and monitor day-to-day work at the site.

Weekly and monthly meetings would be scheduled throughout the construction period to update progress on the project and identify and correct problems as they arise.

"We take care of your construction issues for you. That leaves you free to do what you do best, and that's educate students," said Glenn vice president Bill Petrovich.

Glenn proposed a design that includes a 217,000-square-foot, steel-frame and masonry exterior high school that would accommodate 1,300 students. The building would include a two-story classroom wing, an 800-space parking lot and assorted, nonlighted practice athletic fields.

Other features included a 500-seat cafeteria-commons area; two gymnasiums to seat 2,500 and 500 people; weight, wrestling and dance areas; a 130-student capacity band area; broadcast studio, orchestra and vocal music areas; and fiber-optic and technology wiring throughout the building.

The building design would allow the district to add features such as a swimming pool, auditorium, competition football field and track, and additional classroom space at a later date.

Site work and construction costs would total about $20.6 million, or $95 per square foot. Total construction costs, including $1.1 million for furnishings and equipment, $1 million in contingency funds and $2.1 million in professional fees, would equal $24,950,000, or $114.98 per square foot.

Pre-bond-issue work on the project would begin as early as next week if the company received a contract, Glenn said. The proposed project schedule would allow the district to begin moving in June 2002, with overall project completion by October 2002.

Superintendent Dr. Dan Steska said he didn't believe a contract would be awarded before Jan. 24, when the school board will hold its regular meeting. He said he wants to wait until after a Vision 2000 community forum planned for 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Blanchard Elementary School.

"I would like to present the information to the community, give people an opportunity to ask questions, and make those decisions Jan. 24," Steska said. "We plan to make significant decisions at the board meeting."