Lewis Central board hears plans for $2.6 million athletic building addition and renovation
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Summary
During a public hearing, district administrators outlined a plan to add a new metal athletic building and gut-renovate the existing facility, with preliminary costs of about $1.4 million for the addition and $1.2 million for renovations and discussion of procurement and funding options.
The Lewis Central Community School District board opened a public hearing Jan. 19 on plans to build a new athletic facility addition and to renovate the existing athletic building.
Superintendent (Unidentified Speaker 5) said the project would include an addition priced at about $1,400,000 and a renovation estimated at roughly $1,200,000 that would be a complete gut of the current athletic building except for existing plumbing. "We just need to get the building up to code," the superintendent said, adding that the work would include sprinklers, new insulation, siding, roof, HVAC and flooring.
The superintendent described two procurement options: a standard public bid process for construction, which typically takes four to six weeks after the bid package is prepared, or purchase of the metal building through a state-contracted vendor (named BlueScope in the presentation) and separate contracting for erection and interiors. He told the board that using the state purchasing process could shorten lead time; "if we can save a month, that probably is the difference between us getting this done by football season and not," he said.
Project scope details presented to the board described the $1.4 million figure as a completed building cost that would include foundation work, turf, storage cabinets and mezzanine stairs; the metal building itself is one component of that total. He said mats for wrestling and other interior equipment are not included in the present estimates and that fundraising or separate purchases would be needed once exact costs are known.
Board members asked technical questions about site work and durability. One member noted that fill would need to be brought up to three feet on the east end of the site because of grade; the superintendent confirmed plans for a three-foot concrete foundation wall on that side, and board members discussed an alternate option—building a short flight of steps—to avoid hauling fill.
The superintendent also described community interest in the facility from neighboring districts, saying the district had received calls from girls interested in wrestling opportunities at Lewis Central. He framed the project as both a facility upgrade and a program investment, noting potential recruitment benefits.
The public hearing closed after no online comments were received. The board did not take a final vote on the building at the Jan. 19 meeting; the presentation primarily updated the board on scope, estimated costs and procurement timing. The district said final contract awards and funding allocations will be brought to the board for formal action at a later meeting.