It's taking longer than planned, but excavation for athletic facility additions at Jefferson City High School is scheduled to begin this month, and the majority of construction is expected to be complete by mid-2022.
There are still seven houses that need to be demolished near the school where the fields will be added; demolition of these properties is scheduled to begin in mid-August.
Since the groundwork for the Capital City High School athletic facility additions has already been laid, this project will not require as much preparation, such as excavation and demolition. A timeline for the CCHS project likely won't be available until after bids for subcontractors go out this fall, said Dawn Berhorst, JC Schools interim chief operating officer.
Sircal Contracting is the construction manager at risk for the projects, and Architects Alliance is the architect. Individual pieces of the overall project will be bid out to subcontractors. The district has opened bids for JCHS, but they have yet to be awarded. The bids for CCHS will likely begin in September, Berhorst said.
Originally, the district had planned for construction of the athletic facility additions at both high schools to start in May and for the fields to be ready for use by the fall, but it soon became clear that plan was unrealistic.
In early June, JC Schools Facilities Director Frank Underwood said he expected excavation for JCHS to begin in late June. But construction costs have caused setbacks.
The original estimated cost for the projects was $20 million. This cost includes the facilities at both schools and the addition of a road behind Thomas Jefferson Middle School, as that project was included in the same contract.
However, the cost has become higher than expected.
"It has become clear in recent months that construction and material costs are at an all-time high, which is something being seen across the country," Berhorst said. "This has required us to look for ways to reduce cost without compromising the quality and functionality of the finished project."
The district hopes to still stay within the $20 million budget.
Capital City High School's facilities construction will include: a pressbox, home and visiting team bleachers, concessions, restrooms and locker rooms for use between the football and soccer fields; dugouts, a press box, concessions, restrooms and storage areas at the baseball/softball complex; and event parking adjacent to the soccer and football fields and near the tennis courts.
Jefferson City High School's facilities construction will include: a baseball/softball field with dugouts, bullpens, batting cages and bleachers; a press box, concessions, restrooms and storage facilities for use between fields; a soccer field with lighting and home and visitor bleachers; a tennis complex with eight tennis courts and a pavilion with restrooms, concessions, storage and a viewing deck; and elevation of visitors bleachers at Adkins Stadium.