Construction update: Bell Ridge bus lot, boardroom and high school field work on schedule; $2 million in negotiated credits reported

KAI representatives gave the Normandy Schools Collaborative Joint Executive Board a construction update that covered several active projects and budget items, including the Bell Ridge bus lot, a new boardroom, high-school campus improvements and cosmetic work at Viking Hall.

Jossy (KAI) described schedules the team is using: Bell Ridge bus lot work is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025, the CSD boardroom is slated for the first quarter of 2025, and additional facility-support projects are expected to finish by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025. KAI displayed renderings and construction photos to illustrate progress.

On the high-school campus, KAI said the track and field scope is included under current contracting work; an apparent low bidder (identified as Vernon Jones in the presentation) was selected and contract language was under review. KAI said materials ordering and final contract signature are the remaining steps before construction can begin and that ordering materials promptly would support a summer completion and availability for the 2025–26 school year.

Funding for the package is coming from a mix of sources referenced in the presentation: proceeds from Prop B (bond proceeds) and ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. KAI reported an aggregate allocation of about $44 million between Prop B and ESSER funds and said the current contract amount under discussion stands at about $37 million. The team reported negotiated credits and savings totalling roughly $2 million to date.

KAI also provided MBE (minority business enterprise) participation figures: the original MBE goal on the project was stated at 33% (for some scopes) and a 5% goal in another category; KAI said current MBE spend has reached about 3% in one measure, below the stated goal. KAI said outreach to schools will include student tours of construction sites and a survey to select a logo for the new football field; the athletic director and school approved using the Normandy “N” logo in the field center.

Board members asked whether the planned football field would be configured to support soccer as a multipurpose surface; KAI said the field is being built to a scope that will permit both football and soccer use. Board members also asked whether $2 million in credited savings could be reallocated for additional high-school needs such as the ninth-grade academy; KAI said those savings are reflected in the project’s encumbered totals and that decisions about reallocating dollars will depend on the facilities master plan and priorities.

KAI said a draft contract had been circulated and that legal review was complete; the team awaited a final signature from the selected contractor. KAI also noted a current MBE spend shortfall and ongoing work to firm scopes for project elements including the football field and Viking Hall cosmetic upgrades.