WOODSFIELD - A major step was taken Thursday night when six contracts were awarded for construction of the new Beallsville School facilities, which are part of a $86.4 million building project in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District.
Commenting on the contract awards, Switzerland of Ohio Superintendent Larry Elliott said, "It's a great feeling, and we're really excited that the community and especially the students will have the new facilities. It'll be an exciting time."
The combined contract for general trades and plumbing went to Grae-Con Construction Inc., whose bid totaled $6,675,000 while other successful bidders and their bids for the Beallsville project are Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal Inc., $457,550, roofing; S.A. Comunale Co. Inc, $342,200, fire protection; Climatech Inc., $1,937,000, heating, ventilation, air conditioning; Davis Pickering & Co. Inc., $1,482,096, electrical; and Jackson & Sons Drilling & Pump Inc., $479,900, geothermal.
Work on the new school for pre-kindergarten through high school students at Beallsville is expected to begin within a week-and-a-half. A ceremonial groundbreaking has been scheduled for Oct. 18 at the building site.
It is expected that Beallsville students will be able to use the new facilities around Christmastime in 2011.
Elliott this morning said that Stacy Thomas of the Ohio School Facilities Commission told the school board Thursday night that the Beallsville project is on budget and has the commission's approval.
The overall building project in the district is the result of funds from the OSFC and an 8.19-mill bond issue approved in May 2009 by district voters. It also includes new buildings for Monroe Central High School, Woodsfield Elementary School, Hannibal/Sardis Elementary School, Powhatan Point Elementary School, Skyvue Elementary School and renovations at River High School.
Elliott said approximately $12.72 million is budgeted for the Beallsville project.
Beallsville, according to the superintendent, is the first of the district's seven projects for construction. Site work has been done at the Beallsville and Monroe Central High School/Woodsfield Elementary School sites and renovation activities have started at River High School.
Bid openings are scheduled for Sept. 28 for the general trades rebid for Monroe Central and Woodsfield Elementary schools; technology bids for Beallsville, Monroe Central and Woodsfield Elementary; and rebids for food service for those three schools.
The key is that if the general trades rebids are good, "we'll be ready to go for the Monroe Central/Woodsfield Elementary site," Elliott said.
At that site, building pads are complete, and some additional grading is being done. Access roads will be constructed at a later time, and a temporary access road now exists.
A decision was made very early in the process to combine the bidding related to Monroe Central and Woodsfield Elementary into one building package to take advantage of the economies of contractors working on side-by-side facilities.
Pokas can be reached at timesleader@timesleaderonline.com.
