Jefferson BOE awards contracts for new grade school contracts

Star Beacon

July 19, 2006 07:38 am

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By LISA DAVIS

Staff Writer
ldavis@starbeacon.com

JEFFERSON - - The Jefferson Board of Education awarded contracts for the construction of the districts new Rock Creek Elementary School on Tuesday.
Hively Construction Co. was the lowest bidder with a base bid of $5.6 million. Hively came in about 2.5 percent under the estimate of $5.7 million, said Board President David Keep.
The district had previously bid out the general trade contract, however, the bids came back 20 percent over cost. After some adjustments the package was sent out for bids a second time.
Architect Brent Buehrer of the Buehrer Group, the districts architect, told the board the changes made in the bid package. The driveway that went around the building to the playground was eliminated as was bidding out the top coat for the asphalt.
Buehrer said the top or final coat of asphalt will be bid when top coat is needed for the new Jefferson Elementary and junior/high complex. If the district waits to bid the top coat until later the bid may be better, he said.
Also removed at this time was the cost for landscaping and the clearing of the north east corner of the lot. Other changes consisted of using eight-inch by one foot block, the standard size, instead of two-feet by one-foot block, Buehrer said.
The look will be the same, just smaller block. The district will save about $30,000 by going with the standard size block, he said.
The district has partnered with the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) in its new school building program that also includes building a new Jefferson Elementary and junior/senior high complex. The districts share of the estimated $49 million program is 32 percent.
The district passed a 28-year 5.96-mill bond levy in May 2005 to generate just under $21 million to pay for its portion of the building projects.
The new one-story 58,930 square-foot Rock Creek Elementary will be located next to the present school, on 15.7 acres. Construction on school hopefully will begin in August, Keep said.