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Board hears update on high‑school field house renovation; change orders, hidden supports drove some extra work
Summary
Construction on the high‑school field house revealed a previously concealed load‑bearing support and other condition issues; the district said the project is close to finishing truss installation but some change orders are expected.
The Chester County Board of Education received a construction update on the high‑school field house renovation that described unanticipated interior conditions and resulting scope adjustments.
District staff and new maintenance supervisor Beau Bates explained that when interior walls were removed contractors discovered an existing metal support column dating to the mid‑1990s that cannot be removed and must be wrapped for aesthetics. The superintendent said that removal of interior finishes exposed wear and penetrations where the original 1985 slab meets the walls and that the project team plans to wrap and finish those areas to match the new multipurpose space.
Gilger told the board the project’s original renovation estimate was about $300,000 and that some items will cost more while other bid items came in under estimate, producing offsets. He said the construction manager has provided value engineering recommendations and that the project will use change orders rather than rebidding for the discovered work. Board members asked about replacing doors and whether some elements might require rebidding; staff said change orders will address the additional work and that they would provide more detailed cost information at a future meeting.
Board members and staff said truss installation was delayed at times by wet conditions but that the contractor was making progress. The board did not take formal action on the renovation at the meeting.
