PCHS Architect Lays Down Planning & Construction Timetable

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Building a new Pinckneyville Community High School is a laborious process as the Dist. 101 Board of Education found Monday evening. District architect Dave Mevert and his associate, Theresa Lukes, gave a presentation on the what decisions the board is expected to make and when.

Finalizing the building design is estimated to take six to eight months, bidding another one to three months and building construction 10 to 12 months. After the new high school is built, demolition of the current building and construction of a new parking lot are expected to take three months.

Before any of the construction begins, the board will need to choose a construction delivery method, essentially deciding whether they prefer a general contractor or a construction manager. Mevert offered pros and cons for each method. The board will could make a decision as early as the regular Oct. 26 board meeting.

Choosing one general contractor on larger projects, such as the $35 million Mascoutah school, limits bidders because of the necessary bonding.

A construction manager offers the board more oversight. Construction managers are usually selected on a qualification basis, not via bids.

Another initial step is selecting a bond sale agent and attorney. Superintendent Jon Green said that several bond agents will give presentations to the board on Nov. 9. The board may choose to sell $200,000 to $500,000 in bonds to cover due diligence work before construction begins.

PCHS has not received a grant entitlement from the ISBE's Capital Development Board (CDB). Mevert said a grant assessment team visit would be the first step in the process. However, the CDB has not assembled a grant assessment team. The visit could take place before the end of the year or early next year. ISBE has implemented a new law requiring additional inspections and testing on all new facilities. Mevert said the inspections and tests could add as much as $900,000 to the cost of building a new school.

"When they come for the site visit, I'll ask them to add those costs to the amount of the grant," Mevert said. "If the funding ratio is 75/25, then the state would cover 75 percent of the cost. You'd still have to pay the rest."

Another issue with the additional inspections is that there are only about 20 to 30 independent inspectors certified by the ISBE. Mevert estimates that there would need to be three to six inspectors on site during construction nearly every day.

The inspectors typically have a few years experience and have passed a test. They are not required to have professional insurance. Mevert suggested that PCHS require independent inspectors to have professional insurance. There is a very specific set of rules that must be followed during the bidding and building of the new school. Bids over $250,000 must be broken down into at least five categories. The break-down allows portions of the project to be re-bid at the board's discretion.

"Eventually, the lowest bidder gets the contract," Mevert said.