USD 437 hears construction progress; Wanamaker, Auburn and Pauling South targeted for GMP approvals

At a recent USD 437 Board of Education meeting, the district's owner's representative, Tucker, gave trustees a progress update on bond-funded construction and said the district will seek Guaranteed Maximum Price approvals for three projects later this year. The work already completed includes the multipurpose building at the high school, summer renovations at WRMS and Indian Hills, and demolition and drywall work underway for a pre-K annex that is tentatively scheduled to finish in the fall. "There's lots of loose ends on all of these projects with punch list, as far as, like, tying up loose ends over the next couple of weeks," Tucker said. The board learned timing targets for three upcoming projects: Wanamaker (drawings due today in the presentation and an October board meeting GMP approval target), Auburn (drawings complete by Oct. 3 and a December GMP approval target), and Pauling South (drawings due Nov. 14 with a January board meeting GMP target). Tucker said Wanamaker is the only one with an addition and will require careful phasing. Auburn will involve work to mitigate sound transmission between corridors and classrooms. Pauling South, he said, has limited in-building flexibility because it will remain a three-grade attendance center; that raises a "very small room for error" during the next summer's construction window. Tucker told trustees the district will review summer work budget results at the next facilities committee meeting to check owner and construction contingency balances and to plan bidding phases for Baker Hall and the remaining projects. He noted many buildings are finishing punch-list items and that some temporary materials were used where items arrived late. The update was informational; no board action on construction contracts or budgets was taken at the meeting.