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District gives schedule updates for alternative center, West Chatham, Islands athletic complex and other projects
Summary
Staff reported schedules and bids for several capital projects: an alternative education center expected to be occupied by August 2027, West Chatham design slated for 2025–26, Islands High athletic work mobilizing, and bids planned for Woodville-Tompkins and Johnson High.
District staff provided project-by-project updates at the August Capital Improvements Committee meeting, outlining schedules and upcoming procurement milestones for several major capital projects across the district.
The alternative education center (the former Mercer site), which will house Building Bridges High School, Building Bridges Middle School and the Wings program, is in design and is expected to be bid in October with occupancy planned for August 2027. “The bid will go out in October, but the center in itself is expected to be complete… so that students can occupy the space in August 2027,” said Miss Davidson, a staff member who discussed the alternative center and interim improvements.
West Chatham was described as a comprehensive multi‑school site; staff said a portion of environmental work has started and that formal design is expected to ramp up between 2025 and 2026. Bull Street, a complex restoration and new academic program site, was described as a large multi‑year restoration slated after West Chatham on the program schedule.
The Islands High School athletic complex contract was awarded last month and the contractor has mobilized, installed silt fencing and begun county inspections; staff said the bulk of field and HVAC work will occur in the summer months when schools are not occupied. Woodville-Tompkins’ upper building renovation is planned to begin in December 2026 with an estimated completion in July 2029; the lower site includes demolition plans and a city MOU for temporary use that staff said remains in place for at least another school year.
Other procurement notes included a Woodville-Tompkins bid scheduled for August 21 (roofing/major work), and Johnson High School slated to bid on September 4. Staff said Bloomingdale and other projects have progressed to the punch-list/closeout stage and no longer require the same level of reporting. Gamble Road maintenance/transportation site design documents (design development stage) were submitted; staff said they hope to put the restroom/office phase out to bid early next year and to proceed with additional phases for refueling and shop improvements thereafter.
Staff emphasized phasing and swing-site planning as drivers of timing. For projects where students cannot remain in a building during major work — such as large historical renovations at Charles Ellis and some Woodville-Tompkins work — staff recommended full renovations with swing-site occupancy to avoid interim disruption. For other projects, such as Georgetown and Hubert, staff said phased in‑place construction is planned so classrooms can remain open while work proceeds in sections.
Questions from committee members focused on parking and site access for projects (Pulaski, Georgetown), reuse of salvaged materials during demolitions, and the interaction between academic planning and construction timelines at Savannah High (academic center and relocation of academic partners to Port Wentworth). Staff said they will bring refined schedules and additional detail on swing‑site plans to the committee in coming months.
No formal project approvals were taken at the meeting; staff said detailed schedules and final bid documents will be posted to the district website after edits are applied and the board secretary receives the revised presentations.
