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| Lylburn Downing Middle School will field renovation project bids from contractors on Feb. 5. (ERIN GALLIHER/The Rockbridge Report) |
Construction bids for the Lylburn Downing Middle School and Community Center renovation projects will start rolling in Feb. 5, according to Lexington Superintendent of Schools Dan Lyons.
At least 10 local and out-of-town contractors are eyeing the $7.5 million project. For a project of its size that’s a lot of potential bidders, Lyons said.
“I don’t think they’re looking to make a lot of money,” he said. “I think they’re just trying to keep their people working.”
Council Member Frank Friedman said he expects the renovation project to stimulate more business in the city.
"Any time we can have construction projects going on in the city...workers have to buy lunch, they need to purchase things here and there, they buy gifts for their families if they're here over the holidays,” he said.
But the sluggish economy has some residents worried that the renovations will take its toll on the school budget, which is expected to fall $350,000 short next year without cuts. Although those cuts will affect operating money, such as salaries and benefits, it won’t trim construction funding, Lyons said.
A state literary loan from the Virginia Department of Education, not the school budget, will pay for the renovations. The loan, used to finance public school construction, includes a 20-year term and a 3 percent interest rate.
The city Planning Commission approved the site plans for the renovations earlier this month.
Once the contractors submit their bids, the school board has 30 days to make its choice. The matter then goes to City Council for approval. If council approves the bids, the contractor has 45 days to begin the renovations.
Because no council members have prior experience in Lexington school construction projects, Friedman said he expects a “spirited debate” about the bids. Choosing the right contractor is not only about the lowest bid, but also who’s ready for the job, he said.
Plans call for the community center to be renovated first, to accommodate school and community program schedules. Extensive work on the school itself will follow, including a 13,500-square-foot addition.
Lyons said the actual start date will depend on weather conditions. Most of the early work includes excavation and asbestos reduction in the community center, which sits next to the middle school.
Construction for the community center is set for late May, when most of the center’s programs are finished. Summer activities such as youth programs conducted by the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization and the Lexington Office on Youth, will move to temporary housing.
Lyons said the goal is to complete the community center renovations before the new school year begins in September. That will allow for preschool and youth programs to continue uninterrupted, he said. The city school board’s offices will move permanently to the newly renovated center, with a clear view of the ongoing construction at the school.
The middle school renovations will also kick off this summer. Besides the major addition to the building, plans include new parking areas, a ball field, an outdoor courtyard and a paved play court. The main entrance to the school will move from Diamond Street to a private driveway. If everything stays on schedule, the project should be completed by the summer of 2010, he said.
Lyons said he hopes renovating in the summer will minimize the impact on students during the school year. Instead of using modular units, school officials plan temporarily to use the space in the community center, which will be finished first.
“There might have to be a little bit [of reshuffling], but our teachers and students are pretty adaptable,” Lyons said. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry too much about that.”
PROJECTED TIMELINE |
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Produced by
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Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
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Editing supervisor:
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Technical supervisor: Michael Todd