$2.5 million bid approved for GHS renovation

Friday, March 23, 2007
Jonathan Wagoner, 5, gets a closer look at a fluffy yellow chick with the help of his mom Julie during the Mini Farm Fest Thursday afternoon at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. The annual event shares aspects of agriculture with the public.

Bids totaling $2.5 million have been approved for the Greencastle High School renovation project set for this summer.

General construction for the project was awarded to Shook LLC of Indianapolis, which gave the low bid of $1,162,000 for the project to replace the windows in the high school, as well as replace doors and do minor remodeling in the front office area. Shook will also handle replacement of vinyl floor tile in classroom areas.

The bid for mechanical work on the project went to A.A. Huber and Sons Greencastle, at the amount of $1,415,041. The local company will handle the replacement of unit ventilators in the building, as well as refurbish the existing air handling units in McAnally Center.

School Board members Jack Berry, Barry Fisher and Mark Kannowski approved the bids, based on the successful sale of bonds to finance the building project.

The project will see the much-needed replacement of the drafty windows in the high school. However, the bids were not low enough to include the reconstruction of the cafeteria solarium area.

In reviewing the bids, Bill Payne with Fanning/Howey architects noted that the project estimates from four contractors were close.

"We were obviously pleased with the competitive nature of the bidding, the fact that we received four bidders as well, and the relative proximity of the bids," Payne said.

The board also voted to authorize a limited notice to proceed, which allows the contractors to order the unit ventilators and windows for the project. Those items will take longer to get, and need to be ordered early, Payne explained.

Supt. Robert Green noted that the school district has enough money in its Rainy Day Fund to cover the costs of the equipment until the bond sale can repay that estimated $50,000.

The project is planned to begin in earnest once school lets out for the summer, with the bulk of the work to be completed prior to school reopening in mid-August.

The Greencastle School Board regularly meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Miller Education Center, 522 Anderson St.

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