Board hires Eckles Construction Services as construction manager; company outlines multi-year timeline

The Hopewell Area School District board voted on April 21 to engage Eckles Construction Services as the district's construction manager for planned renovation projects. The motion to contract Eckles passed during the finance and budget portion of the meeting.

John Papish, identified in the meeting as president of Eckles Construction Services, told the board his firm will lead pre-construction planning, phasing and logistics, produce multiple cost estimates during the pre-construction phase and help develop budgets and working documents. Papish said the firm prioritizes minimizing disruption to school activities and described a collaborative approach "rooted in communication, collaboration and accountability." He said the district should expect frequent presentations and that the company would be engaged through design and construction phases.

On project length, Papish estimated that design often takes "12 to 14 months" and that construction for a full new building can be two to three years (with some larger projects lasting longer). He acknowledged that demolition is a common element of K–12 projects and described planning for site security, dust and sound mitigation, and seasonal timing of demolition.

Board vote and next steps: The board approved engaging Eckles Construction Services by motion; the transcript shows the board will receive future presentations on phasing, budgets and bidding as projects progress. No specific contract dollar amount or final project schedule was recorded in the public meeting minutes on April 21.