Major bond projects advance: Beverly Hills Unified board signs off on Building C, Grand Lawn and other bond contract work

The Beverly Hills Unified School District received a detailed bond program update on April 29 and approved contract amendments that move Building C (the new Conheim Gym and outdoor pool), the Grand Lawn and several athletic projects further into construction.

Amin Salari and the district’s bond team reported multiple projects already under construction and provided timelines and cost updates. Key points presented to the board:

- Building C (new gym and outdoor pool): construction contractors began key site work last fall; the district reported initial work started Oct. 26, 2024. The district’s current contract price for Building C is about $62 million; an earlier internal estimate was $57 million. District staff attributed roughly a $6 million differential largely to required night work ordered or permitted by government agencies for environmental or logistical reasons. - Grand Lawn (front lawn) and new drop-off: staff said they hope to start that scope in August and finish by January 2026 if the board approves the pending contract amendment; district staff said they sought a lower-cost bid and accepted a schedule trade-off to save roughly $1.3 million. - Upper athletic field (six tennis courts and a softball field) is under construction and expected to be serviceable in August 2025; portions of the athletic plaza and restroom building were scheduled for completion by late 2025. - B3/B4 (performing-arts and arts buildings) were reported near finish; internal finishes (seating, ceiling, flooring) were in progress and expected to be ready for the fall. - South Side project (stadium and baseball) remains the last major package to award; staff proposed value-engineering and phasing options so the district could complete as much as possible with funds on hand and leverage anticipated state grants later.

Budget status and funding

Bond program managers said the overall program deficit had been substantially reduced. The team presented a current gap estimate of approximately $16.2 million, down from earlier projections that had been as large as $90 million–$120 million when the program was re-evaluated. Staff also noted a technology set-aside of about $6.8 million that could be reallocated conservatively to construction if needed; staff indicated roughly $6 million of those funds could be returned to construction to help close the gap while keeping a technology reserve.

Night work and community impacts

Board members and staff emphasized the reason for the added cost on Building C: required night work for excavation and soil export made the work materially costlier. The bond team described mitigation measures — 24/7 monitoring, noise blankets and other site practices — and said about 90% of night work would be complete by June 2025 with only two brief additional night windows to finish remaining excavation.

Board action

The board approved the GMP contract amendments and associated package that finalize Building C scope and move forward the Grand Lawn and other items. The motion passed unanimously (5–0) after discussion. Staff said the contract contingency was reduced to a fixed $900,000 line-item in the GMP amendment instead of a formula percentage to limit potential additional exposure; unused contingency would be released to the district at contract close.

What happens next

Staff said they will perform value engineering on the South Side stadium project and return with phased options and timing, especially to align with pending state modernization grant applications the district is eligible to submit later in 2025.

Why this matters

The approvals commit the district to near-term construction activity that will transform Beverly Hills High School’s campus — new gym and pool, performing-arts spaces, tennis courts and a grand front lawn — while staff continue to manage a remaining program gap and to pursue state funding to avoid borrowing (COPS) or other deficit-financing options.