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Solon Elementary construction ahead of schedule, under budget; 13th Avenue road costs pending
Summary
JA Dunn project manager told the Williston Basin School District No. 7 board that foundations are complete and the guaranteed maximum price leaves the project roughly $4.84 million under the $55 million budget; a city cost-share for 13th Avenue remains to be resolved.
JA Dunn project manager Ryan Anderson told the Williston Basin School District No. 7 board on Jan. 8 that construction of the new Solon Elementary School is progressing on schedule, foundations are complete and the project remains under the board’s $55 million budget.
Anderson said the contractor’s guaranteed maximum price (GMP) finalized at a special board meeting in December is $41,424,107. With conservative owner soft-cost estimates, he reported the project is approximately $4,841,000 under the $55 million budget. He identified a set of bid alternates still under consideration: corridor glazing in the K–1 wing (small cost likely to be accepted), irrigated soccer fields estimated at about $300,000, and an artificial-turf alternate priced at about $2 million that is not expected to be accepted.
On schedule metrics, Anderson said foundations are 100% poured and backfilled; earthwork/excavation is 85% complete; the next major activity is structural steel erection and precast panel installation, scheduled to start in mid-February. He said the mock-up panel for architectural precast has been finalized and will be ordered once the sample is accepted.
Anderson also described a significant soft-cost item outside the GMP: utility and roadway work on 13th Avenue on the site’s east side. The city will send plans to bid mid-January with bids due in early February, after which the district and city will negotiate a cost-share for the portion the district needs for fire and parking access. Anderson said the district currently carries a conservative allowance for that work and expected some of the allowance to be reduced once bids and the city’s contribution are confirmed.
He reported overall project schedule percentages: the construction schedule spans about 20–21 months, the team has used roughly 14% of the schedule time and billed about 12% to date. Anderson said the project team is coordinating phasing of investments so that funds mature when bills come due as the building ramps up in spring.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the road bid schedule and site utilities. Anderson said the city council will consider the city’s portion to go out to bid and that the district staff expects to finalize the city/district cost-share negotiation in early February after receipt of bids.
