JCPS approves final bid package for second high school

Emil Lippe/News Tribune
Construction crews continued to make progress on Capitol City High School close to Mission Drive on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
Emil Lippe/News Tribune Construction crews continued to make progress on Capitol City High School close to Mission Drive on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

The Jefferson City Public Schools Board of Education on Wednesday approved the fourth and final bid package for Capital City High School, which includes some substantial building infrastructure, as well as the finishing interior and exterior touches to the project that's anticipated to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019.

A bid package is what contractors base their bid submissions on.

CCHS is planned to be ready Aug. 15, 2019, for its first students, according to bid package documents from Nabholz Construction, the construction manager for JCPS's two high school projects.

A portion of the first floor for classrooms, commons and administrative spaces is expected be ready at CCHS by then, in addition to accompanying mechanical and electrical rooms. The main and auxiliary gyms and the rest of the building are planned to be complete by the December date.

The final bid package for CCHS is worth approximately $51.1 million, including approximately $3.2 million in building permit, insurance, bond payment, construction manager fee and contingency costs.

The most expensive single item in the final bid package is the school's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system at approximately $6.7 million. The next most expensive single item after that is light metal framing, drywall and noise control components that together total approximately $4.8 million, then electrical systems that total another $4.8 million.

Metal wall panels and roof components, plumbing and landscaping, and irrigation are projected to cost more than $2 million, and sports fields, the track and equipment cost approximately $3.8 million.

Masonry, cabinets, windows, communications systems, asphalt paving and concrete work each are projected to cost $1 million-$2 million.

Other items included in the bid package are decorative metal railings, fire doors, other doors and door frames, wood flooring for the gyms, painting, tile, exterior and interior signage, kitchen and gym equipment, auditorium seating, theater lights, elevators, fire suppression, electronic safety and security systems, concrete polishing, and final cleaning.

The estimates in the bid package are based on current availability and pricing of steel products. The overall contract for construction of CCHS "does not include impacts from the unforeseeable changes caused by tariffs and corresponding market fluctuations."

As of Tuesday, the estimated total cost for building CCHS and renovating Jefferson City High School is approximately $140.5 million - $70.6 million for construction costs at CCHS and another $47.3 million for JCHS. Design costs represent $8.5 million, and other costs make up the remaining $13.9 million.

JCPS originally budgeted $110 million in total construction costs for the two high schools. While that estimate had increased to almost $118 million as of Tuesday, the $13.9 million estimate of other costs is significantly below the original budget for those of $30 million.

Those "other costs" include asbestos removal, furniture, fixtures and equipment and technology; the estimate had dropped from $30 million to $11.3 million once the projects entered schematic design phase in October 2017.

JCPS Chief Financial and Operating Officer Jason Hoffman said he considers the full cost for both high school projects to be $1 million under budget because costs include greenway extension near CCHS, the construction of a street adjacent to CCHS that will be reimbursed by the city, and re-turfing of the field at Adkins Stadium field that will take place next summer.

The final bid package documents for CCHS show the football practice field will have a track, turf and lights, but there will be grass instead of turf on the baseball and soccer fields and no lights for those fields or the tennis courts.

The school board approved the first $6.9 million bid package for JCHS's renovation in June. With the fourth and final bid package approved for CCHS, the value of work approved on the district's two high school projects approximately totals $77.6 million - which means about 45 percent of the estimated work to complete both projects remains to be approved, and it will all be for renovations at JCHS.