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Board rejects over-budget softball bids, advances Nelson County High phase-one design
Summary
Nelson County board voted May 12 to reject two over-budget softball bid packages and authorize rebidding; staff and consultants presented updates on the bus garage, UpCenter, and Phase One design and site plan for the new Nelson County High campus.
The Nelson County Board of Education on May 12 rejected two softball bid packages for Nelson County High School and authorized the district to rebid the packages with adjusted scope.
District staff told the board the initial bids arrived substantially higher than construction managers' market-based estimates; staff recommended rejecting the current bids, adjusting scope and line items, and extending the bid window to attract more bidders. The board moved, seconded and approved the rebid authorization.
Staff also provided a facilities update: the bus garage is in active move-in with finishing work remaining; the UpCenter is being monitored to achieve a targeted July 10 completion; and Thomas Nelson site work is largely earthwork and footer preparations.
Stephen, the design lead, said the project is in design development with a plan to deliver biddable construction documents by October. "We're into design development at this point," he said, explaining changes that reduce some special-education square footage, shift some classroom locations to leverage renovation cost savings, and engage engineers to find economies.
Travis, the site consultant from Karmen, presented the campus-level site plan emphasizing safe circulation and a pedestrian-focused central quad. He described interior courtyards intended for alumni events and daily student use, outdoor dining linked to the cafeteria, raised garden beds for instructional use and outdoor art pedestals for student displays.
Board members praised the campus approach and courtyard safety. Staff said a rebid in June could yield bids that align more closely with budget and still meet the desired timeline to have the softball field ready for spring 2027.
Next steps: staff will rebid the softball packages with scope adjustments and pursue design development milestones for Phase One to produce biddable documents in October.
