SOUTH COVENTRY >> The Owen J. Roberts School Board awarded bids totaling $22,899,000 for construction of a new East Vincent Elementary School at a special meeting Monday night.
The total, which included bids for general construction, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, came to $19,772 below architects’ estimates. Construction on the new building is expected to begin next month.
The general construction bid was awarded to E.R. Stuebner, of Reading, for a total of $14,541,000. The mechanical/HVAC bid went to MidState Mechanical Electrical, of Dillsburg, at $4,498,000, while the plumbing and fire protection contract was awarded to Apex Mechanical Inc., of Philadelphia, for $1,549,000. The electrical, data and security contract was given to Philips Brothers, of Glenmoore, totaling $2,311,000.
The electrical contract included an alternate to run power and lighting to a sign on the site, at a cost of $11,500. Architect Maryann Marrotta, of MM Architects Inc., recommended keeping that alternate since the sign would otherwise not be visible at night.
The general contractor bid included several alternate deductions that Marrotta recommended against. Among those was a reduced bid to scale down some of the masonry for a savings of $110,000. Another called for eliminating terrazzo flooring in favor of concrete, for a $75,000 savings in the classroom corridors and $160,000 in the entire building. Marrotta noted that the terrazzo floor would last the life of the building and be easier to maintain. The larger masonry, planned for a portion of the building, would improve the overall look of the structure.
However, another alternate that called for a special resinuous floor in the mechanical and janitorial rooms was rejected, saving $40,000 from the original base bid.
The board approved the bids unanimously. However, prior to the vote, board member John Stone asked whether the architects had worked with any of the firms before. Marrotta said her firm had worked with E.R. Stuebner on two projects.
“We have had one successful project with them and one unsuccessful project with them,” she said.
Similarly, district Chief Financial Officer Jaclin Krumrine said the district had engaged E.R. Stuebner twice.
“They built the West Vincent Elementary School, which went very well, and they also built the high school addition, which didn’t go that well,” Krumrine said.
Both she and Marrotta stressed that the firm’s success was dependent on the personnel on site, which the administration and architects will have control over.
“We will be evaluating the resumes of the staff they have on site,” Marrotta said.
Building and Grounds Committee Chairwoman Melissa Booth said she was excited for the project to get underway. She noted that this marks the second time the board has gone out to bid on the East Vincent Elementary School project. The first was April 2014, when the board had planned to undergo a renovation of the existing building, rather than rebuild on its existing site. That plan was scrapped after bids far exceeded estimates.
Booth said that the current bids were $6 million less than the low April 2014 bid.
“Not only are we saving valuable district resources of $6 million, we are constructing a brand new building crafted to serve this district, this community and our students for decades and generations to come,” said Booth.
Because the new building will be constructed while students remain in the existing building, “students will not suffer the consequences of learning within a construction zone,” Booth observed.
The East Vincent project is one of two new elementary buildings the district will construct, with plans to open both in 2017.
Last November, the board approved a proposal to build new East Coventry and East Vincent Elementary schools on their existing sites. Those are the only district elementary schools that do not have air conditioning, and both have large student populations over the 550-student capacity.
Students will not be disrupted, and will remain in their existing buildings until the new facilities are complete. Once the new schools are occupied, the old East Vincent facility will be demolished. District officials have not yet determined whether or not the existing East Coventry building will be razed.
Cost of construction for both schools been estimated at $46 million, with total project costs at $55.5 million, according to projections by MM architects Inc., the firm designing both projects. The district will fund those projects through money it has saved specifically for those buildings.
Both buildings are expected to be completed by 2017, although East Vincent will remain ahead of the East Coventry project by four or five months throughout the course of construction. East Vincent will be completed by mid-2017, while East Coventry will be finished in the summer of that year. Students will remain in their existing buildings throughout construction.
