Building Briefs – July 2010

 

Groundbreaking on the new $107 million University of Baltimore law school building in Baltimore is scheduled for August. $38 million in initial construction funding has been committed by the state. German architectural firm Behnisch Architekten won the contract and will be working in partnership with local architectural firm Ayers/Saint/Gross. Bids are still out for construction work on the building’s foundation and façade. The 190,000-square-foot, 12-story building is targeting either gold or platinum LEED certification. Project completion is expected in late 2012. UOB is still actively fundraising in hopes of finding private donors to pay for wish-list items like rooftop solar panels and a rainwater recovery system.

 

 

Plans are in place for a $20 million renovation of the high school at the Montgomery Central Schools complex in Clarksville, Tenn. The project will include interior renovations and six additions, increasing the school’s size by more than 50 percent. The largest addition will be a nine-classroom freshman academy on the school’s second floor, along with a media center and administrative space totaling 40,000-square-feet. A food preparation addition will be built adjoining the existing cafeteria and an auxiliary gym/theater addition will provide seating for 582 people. Completion is scheduled for June 2012 with the majority of the heavy work being done in summer when classes are out. Design work was completed by the local Violette Archtecture. Denark Construction Inc. of Knoxville had the winning construction bid of $18.4 million. Funding for the project will come from federal stimulus money along with a zero-interest $20 million loan that will cover the cost of furnishings and other equipment.

 

 

The Carrollton City School System in Carrollton, Ga. has plans for three construction and renovation projects. $8 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds will be used for the construction, including $5.5 million for a new two-story, sixth grade building. Another $2.5 million is targeted for renovations the high school gym and restrooms. Construction of the sixth grade building is expected to begin this fall, and the start of gym renovations will likely come after basketball season is through.

 

 

A $39 million project is under way at Newark High School in Newark, Ohio. Plans call for renovations, demolitions and new construction, and will make the school the most complex of all the facilities in the $140 million district-wide construction project. Funding for the project came from a 2004 voter approved bond issue and construction is expected to take 30-36 months.

 

School officials in Roxana, Ill., broke ground on a facility-addition aimed at reducing lunch-hour crowding in the junior high and high school complex. Plans feature a new 12,000-square-foot cafeteria and commons addition with a seating capacity of about 400, to be used for meals, banquets and as an all-purpose meeting space. The energy-efficient addition will include two elevators, providing access to all levels of the junior and senior high schools. The price tag on the project is $4 million. It will be funded in part by $2.6 million in on-hand capital set aside for building. Additional funding comes from $400,000 in federal stimulus money and $980,000 provided by the Conoco Energy Efficiency Fund. The cafeteria space, without the kitchen, is expected to be completed by spring of next year. Full project completion is slated for August 2011.

 

 

Modernization is under way in Austin, Texas, at one the University of Texas most iconic buildings. Built in the 1930’s, the UT Tower is undergoing renovations that include replacement of the structure’s antiquated air conditioning system — installed in1965. The existing air conditioning system will continue to operate until the new system is built and running, ensuring that the upper levels of the tower remain cool while work is being done. The $2 million renovation plan also calls for removal of part of the north side of the tower.

 

ROCKY MOUNTAINS

 

School board members in Kuna, Idaho, agreed to move ahead with plans for a new elementary school. This will be the district’s seventh elementary school and will have a similar design as Crimson Point Elementary School, including a full-size gym with wood floors and bleachers. The new school will have some design variations including skylights in the gym and cafeteria. The school district received 12 bids in all from construction firms, and selected a low bid of $5.75 million from Meridian, Idaho-based Petra Inc.

 

PACIFIC

 

Officials from the Merced City School District in Merced, Calif., voted to approve the Rivera School joint-use gym and school expansion project. The $5.2 million project is funded through a combination of state, city and bond monies. In 2003, the city passed Measure S, which provides the district half of the $5.2 million needed for expansion. The expansion will allow the school to serve students kindergarten through eighth grade. Officials hope construction will begin in September.