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Martinez Unified details Measure O projects, including auxiliary gym and TK classrooms
Summary
District facilities staff outlined Measure O-funded projects — an auxiliary gym at Alhamra High, new TK classrooms and playground modernization at Mel Park, and a track-and-field replacement — and set a tentative construction timeline targeting summer 2027 starts.
Martinez Unified School District officials on Sept. 8 outlined a multi-year construction plan funded by Measure O, the $90 million general obligation bond approved by voters, that includes a new auxiliary gym at Alhamra High School, additional transitional kindergarten classrooms at Mel Park Elementary and a replacement of the high school track and infield with synthetic turf.
“We're working on a new auxiliary gym,” facilities director Andy Cannon told the board, adding that the gym design includes space for basketball and volleyball, a roll-down divider, storage, accessible restrooms and seating for roughly 320 spectators. “Measure O…is the $90 million general obligation bond that was passed,” Cannon said, describing procurement steps that include an RFQ and a forthcoming RFP for design-build contractors.
Why it matters: the projects respond to enrollment growth (particularly TK expansion) and aging site infrastructure. Cannon said the district recently received a DSA exemption for Building J HVAC work that moves those upgrades forward and that many projects will proceed in phases to minimize disruption.
What officials described: Cannon said the auxiliary gym would support practices, smaller competitions and student assemblies and would be intentionally smaller than the main gym. For Alhamra High, plans call for upgraded track and field surfaces, renovated tennis courts, and improvements to HVAC across campus. At Mel Park, the district intends to add three TK classrooms, a dedicated staff restroom, a conference/meeting space for IEPs, and new play equipment and turf in the play area.
Timeline and procurement: Cannon said an RFQ has been issued and two responsive firms applied; the district expects to issue an RFP after the architect finalizes plans. If permitting and DSA review proceed on schedule, preliminary mobilization could begin in summer 2026 with an overall construction horizon that could extend into 2027; Cannon noted an illustrative target of completion by late July 2027 for some projects but cautioned that multi-year schedules are typical.
Community questions: board members and members of the public raised operational and neighborhood questions, including whether the auxiliary gym would be used for both practices and competitions and how many restroom stalls would be provided (Cannon noted three stalls in the women's restroom, one stall plus two urinals in the men's, and a unisex staff restroom). The board also flagged potential neighbor concerns about courts being striped for pickleball and sound impacts; Cannon said site teams will consult with users and the city on scheduling and operational rules.
What's next: staff will return with finalized RFP documents and more precise schedules and cost estimates as designs advance through DSA review. The board will see specific contract recommendations and site-level implementation plans when procurement concludes.
(Reporting supported by Andy Cannon's presentation to the board; design and procurement details presented at the Sept. 8 board meeting.)
