MCSD Approves Upgrades and Projects At Numerous Schools
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During their Monday night meeting the Muscogee County School Board approved several construction and upgrade projects at numerous schools in the district.
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As the board came onto the action items on their agenda the first they looked at was a recommendation for renovations at Veterans Memorial Middle School. Board members were asked to award a contract in the amount of $635,532.00 to Ben B. Gordy Construction, Inc. for security and band room expansions at Veterans Memorial Middle School.
Providing background on the project board members were advised that three bids were received on the project on Wednesday, July 31, 2021 for a list of projects that included; renovations, safety and security upgrades and a band room expansion. Board members learned that of the three bids received the low bid came from Ben B. Gordy Construction, Inc. in the amount of $635,532.00. The amount was within the budgeted amount for the project.
A motion was made by Board Member Cathy J. Williams of District 7 and seconded by the Mark Cantrell, District 6. Board members voted in favor of awarding the contract to Ben B. Gordy Construction for the renovations and upgrades at Veterans Memorial Middle School. The funding for the project will come from the 2020 SPLOST according to meeting records.
Moving on the school board tackled another action item, which consisted of three proposed weight room expansions at three Muscogee County High Schools. The board sought to approve a contact with Thayer-Bray Construction, LLC., to award a contact for $1,070,000 for expansions of weight rooms at Carver, Columbus, and Northside High Schools in Columbus.
Board members learned that four construction companies had sought interest and picked up plans for the project, but only two bids were received by the Thursday, July 22, 2021 deadline. The low bid belong to Thayer-Bray Construction, LLC. in the amount of $1,070,000.00.
The bid did exceed the original budgeted amount of $990,000, that was approved by the board on December 14, 2020. The board was asked to approve the contract with a revised budged for the weight room expansion. A motion was made by board member Cathy Williams and seconded by At-Large Board Member Kia Chambers. The remaining members of the board voted in favor of the approval of the award. The funding for the project will come from the 2015 ESPLOST and 2020 ESPLOST.
A final project discussed by the board during the Monday meeting was concerned a parking lot project at Jordan High School in Columbus. Board members were asked to award a contract to Warr Grading Inc., in the amount of $191,533 for a handicap accessible parking lot at Jordan High School.
There were five companies that expressed interest in the plans, but Warr Grading was the only company to submit bids by the Tuesday, July 20, 2021 deadline. The School Board had budgeted the item in their February 16, 2021 meeting for an amount of $124,000.00. Warr's solo bid exceeded that amount and would require approval of the board to move forward with awarding the contract.
A motion to approve awarding the contract was made by Board Member Mark Cantrell and received a second by Philip T Schley, District 8. Members of the school board followed by voting in favor of awarding the contract for $191,533 to Warr Grading. The project will include creating handicap accessible parking and a sidewalk to serve the baseball field near the intersection of Howard Avenue and 35th Street. Funding will for the project will come from the Capital Fund.