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ISD 624 outlines summer construction progress at Central, Mariner and Sunrise Park campuses
Summary
District staff and Kraus Anderson provided a detailed update on three major summer construction projects — Central Middle School Phase 2, Mariner Middle HVAC improvements, and Sunrise Park Phase 2 — plus two inclusive playgrounds, reporting schedules, scope and costs.
White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624) staff and project partners reported detailed summer construction progress to the school board, describing work at Central Middle School, Mariner Middle School and Sunrise Park, plus two inclusive playground installations at Birch Lake and Otter Lake elementary schools.
"We've had three primary summer projects this go around here," said AJ Lilsby of Kraus Anderson while reviewing project scope and photographs. He identified the Central Middle School Phase 2 renovation, Mariner Middle School LTFM HVAC improvements, and Sunrise Park Phase 2 renovations as the district's major summer efforts.
District staff reported total construction bid-day hard costs near these sums for each project: Central Middle School (just under $24 million), Mariner projects (about $12.5 million), and Sunrise Park (about $29 million). Work completed or underway included gym and cafeteria renovations, kitchen hoods and ANSEL fire-suppression system installs, air-handler and penthouse mechanical work at Mariner, and mechanical/plumbing rough-ins at Sunrise Park.
Kevin Fernandez, the district's director of building operations, and AJ Lilsby walked the board through specific milestones: Central's cafeteria equipment installation and media-center ceiling work, Mariner's air handlers (4 of 5 set in the penthouse) and more than 788 lineal feet of new piping for HVAC, and Sunrise Park's nearing-complete gym, locker rooms and the community room and senior center move-in punch-list. Lilsby said some project months reached more than $2.6 million in installed work during peak periods.
The board also heard about two inclusive-playground projects (Birch Lake and Otter Lake) designed to give students with disabilities access to a larger portion of the play area than older, less-accessible equipment allowed. The playground surfaces were nearing final cure and finishing.
Board members asked for additional financial transparency on longer-term projects. Board member Mr. Skar requested a reconciliation showing planned budget vs. actual costs per facility and clear separation of bond funds and Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) funds. "It would be helpful... if staff could reconcile whatever we had planned on the budget and then the actuals by facility," he said. Superintendent Dr. Kazmierczak acknowledged the suggestion and said projects combine bond and LTFM funding, which the district can detail for public review.
A public open house for Central Middle School was announced for Wednesday, Sept. 24, starting at 4:30 p.m., giving community members a chance to tour renovated spaces.
Ending: District staff said Phase 3 work at Sunrise Park will continue into spring 2026, and the board asked staff to follow up with a clearer facility-level budget vs. actuals breakdown for future meetings.
