Citizen Portal
Sign In

First Street school project on schedule, district officials say

HR Business Services Committee, Duluth Public Schools · March 10, 2026

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

District facilities staff told the HR Business Services committee that the First Street school build-out is in finishing stages, with second-floor carpet set for March 23 and owner occupancy targeted for mid-August; presenters said the project remains within the approved budget.

Justin Mononga, project director for the First Street build-out, told the Duluth Public Schools HR Business Services committee on March 9 that construction is progressing on schedule and budget. He said about 50 tradespeople are working on site each day and that second-floor finishes — including ceiling grid, painting and mechanical and electrical work — are on track for a carpet installation scheduled March 23.

“We're really in finishes pretty much throughout the 2nd Floor,” Mononga said, adding that the project team is aiming for owner occupancy in mid-August once roofing and elevator work are complete. Mononga outlined a near-term schedule that targets first-floor construction completion in mid-June, elevator installation in late July and roofing finished by mid-August.

Brian Brown, the district’s facilities manager, described recent structural work on the first floor, including the placement of rim beams, corrugated decking and a concrete pour used to infill the former press area. “They put those steel beams in first … they pour concrete over, and that's all been done,” Brown said, describing the new floor installed in that zone.

Presenters said they meet monthly to review budgets and change orders and that the First Street project is tracking “very well within budget” compared with the scope approved last September. When asked about contingency planning, staff noted the district commonly budgets about 5% of construction valuation as a rule of thumb; for the current projects contingency use has remained low because only a small number of low-cost change orders have been processed so far.

The committee heard the presentation, asked follow-up questions about structural details and staffing on site, and thanked the presenters. No formal action or vote was taken on the item; presenters will continue monthly budget reviews and submit routine pay applications for contractors as the work proceeds.