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Novi reports 2019 bond progress; 6th‑grade house renovation uncovers costly unforeseen conditions
Summary
The district reported near‑term completion of several 2019 bond projects and said unforeseen structural and fire‑safety issues in the 6th‑grade house will likely require reallocation of owner contingency; staff estimated the needed change order at roughly $700,000–$900,000 and will bring formal approval requests in January.
District construction staff told the Novi school board on Dec. 19 that most 2019 bond projects are nearing completion, but a renovation of the 6th‑grade house uncovered code and structural issues that will require additional contingency funds.
"We had found that some of the drywall soffits did not actually go all the way to the roof," said Mister Manko (district staff presenting the change order discussion), citing a requirement that walls meet the roof deck to meet current fire code. Staff identified other hidden conditions, including window frames needing steel reinforcement and additional Bureau of Fire Safety requirements.
Project representative Mister Donnelly reviewed recent completions tied to the 2019 bond — including the Meadows phase 2 ribbon cutting, newly installed baseball and softball turf and ongoing work on grandstands, fencing and video boards — while noting remaining spring work such as asphalt top coating and landscaping. Donnelly said the tennis facility phase 1 is slated to start when weather permits and that much of the 6th‑grade house work is at roughly the halfway point.
On the 6th‑grade house specifically, staff said they have uncovered most of the unforeseen conditions during demolition and that those items must be addressed to meet current codes. "We believe it's probably in the range of 7 to $900,000 to make those adjustments," a district presenter said, adding that owner contingency funds exist but reallocating them will exhaust the project contingency for that scope. District staff said savings on other projects (for example, underspent contingency in the baseball/softball project) can offset the need at the program level.
District staff told the board they plan to return in January with sharpened numbers and a formal request to shift owner contingency into the 6th‑grade house project. No final contract or change‑order vote was taken at the Dec. 19 meeting; board members asked clarifying questions about timing and code drivers and were told the district is about 50% complete in the affected building, so most unforeseen items have been exposed.
The construction update also covered schedules and sequencing: Donnelly said baseball and softball fields will be usable in March, tennis work will start in spring and be completed by fall 2025, and a new wellness center design kickoff is underway for later construction in 2025.
