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District advances planning for Measure E gym modernizations at Los Altos and Mountain View; estimated $31 million scope proposed
Summary
Design consultants presented an expanded scope for gym modernizations at Los Altos and Mountain View high schools with lobby additions, accessibility and mechanical upgrades and seating increases. District staff said $31 million of project costs would fit within available bond and state funds, leaving program reserves.
Design consultants for the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District presented concept plans on Jan. 27 to expand the scope of Measure E modernization work for the gyms at Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School.
The consultants described an expanded scope that includes roof and mechanical replacements, window and bleacher repairs, acoustics and audiovisual upgrades, and new or expanded lobbies to create covered, light-filled entry and gathering spaces. At Los Altos the consultants said vertical wall geometry allows stacking bleachers higher; they estimated capacity increases there up to about 1,650. At Mountain View constraints on wall geometry and newly installed bleachers limit seating growth; the presentation estimated a maximum of about 1,280 seats there.
Nut graf: The district’s preliminary cost estimate for the expanded gym work is about $31 million. District financial staff said $44.8 million in local bond and previously received state School Facility Program (SFP) funds are available now; additionally, the district has applied for an additional $27 million in state eligibility. Under the scenario shown, implementing the gym modernization scope would leave a program balance and still preserve eligibility for future state funding.
At the presentation QKA (design) and the district’s financial team walked board members through conceptual renderings and constraints. Engineers explained that structural and roof-load limitations at the Los Altos gym constrain how far the interior footprint can be expanded; that constraint drove the design decision to add and enlarge spectator lobbies and improve circulation rather than alter primary structural walls.
Board members asked about library modernization costs, enrollment projections and the district’s ability to add classrooms if local housing development triggers a student surge. Staff noted existing portable-classroom sites and developer-fee resources that could be tapped if needed; trustees asked staff to return with more detailed cost breakdowns and enrollment scenarios before final authorization.
Ending: The board expressed general support for advancing design work and asked staff to return with a more detailed budget and timeline for bidding. No final construction contract was approved at the Jan. 27 meeting.
