JC School District enters agreement with El Dorado Roofing & Construction
JUNCTION CITY — The Junction City School approved a motion to enter a designbuild agreement with El Dorado Roofing & Construction to build a possible high school elective building.
“What we’re proposing is being the design-build contractor for the project that way you’re able to work in both your architect and your contractor all under one contract,” ERC architect Michael Rogers said. “It’s really kind of an ode back to days long ago what we know as a master craftsman, a master builder. You didn’t hire an architect, then an engineer and then hired your contractor, you went to somebody who knew a little bit of all of it and was able to take care of you.”
ERC would oversee the project regardless of what subcontractors would be working on site, Rogers said.
“To me it’s a little different process, same concept,” district superintendent Robby Lowe said. “You can do a project as a general contractor … construction management, design-build and self management. It’s four ways.”
The building would house physical education, health, science, art and music classes near the main high school campus. Last month, the board approved a motion to start the process of filing an application with the Arkansas State Board of Education to issue $1.5 million in construction second lien bonds.
Original plans that were discussed with Lowe included renovating and re-purposing the district’s older gymnasium, he said.
After an assessment of the current structure, there’s “several fire hazards” and it was deteriorated beyond repair. It would cost more to bring the building up to Arkansas Department of Education standards, Rogers said.
“The building formerly known as ‘the new gym’ … I’ve been through that building and it has problems both structurally and all the way through the mechanical, electrical and plumbing,” the architect said. “The way we actually look at this the first time is to get a fundamental use out of that with the partnership money, so what we’ve come to is placing a new building at this location.”
The board heard a report regarding plans, design and management agreements from Rogers regarding the new building. Rogers’ design include a gym with a rubberized floor, band/ choir room, classrooms, storage spaces, offices and locker rooms.
“Looking at the square footage from what we preliminary worked out, we’re looking at little over 13,800 square feet … Based on historical data of what we’ve actually done, looking at 110 a square foot,” he said. “It comes to about $1.5 million. The proposal that I’ve sent Mr. Lowe … has a design fee of 4.5 percent of the total construction cost and a construction management fee of 4 percent of the total construction cost, so our designbuild fee would be 8.5 percent.”
ERC’s estimate for the project includes costs for the demolition of the district 1950’s gymnasium, Rogers said.
“It’s got historic value. There’s a lot of people in this district who’s utilized that building since the mid-50’s, but that doesn’t change the fact that maybe a slab’s cracked or it’s a fire hazard,” board vice president David Barnette said. “When we did the bond issue, there was hope that the building could be salvaged and used as a P.E. building … As we get further into it, we’re finding more things.”
If the district decides not to go forward with the elective building’s construction, it would be liable to paying the design fee under the agreement, Rogers said.
The Junction City School Board’s next meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 8 in the district’s special programs building.
Brittany Williams may be contacted by email at bwilliams@eldoradonews.com. Follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook @BWilliamsEDNT for updates on Union County school news.