Fargo board approves final bid package, $45 million budget for Horus Man Elementary rebuild

The Fargo Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the district's final construction bid package for Horus Man Elementary School, establishing a guaranteed maximum price of $35,128,639 for construction and affirming a total project budget of $45 million including soft costs.

Dr. Steiner presented memo 125 asking trustees to accept recommendations from the district's construction manager and move forward with abatement and demolition this summer. "We're moving forward with our abatement and eventually the tearing down and starting the reconstruction process," Dr. Steiner said.

Carl Anderson project executive Kyle Mcclson told the board that bids for the three packages returned about $2.5 million below the district's last construction estimate. "Our bids came back at 35,128, which is roughly 2.5 million below our last construction estimate," Kyle Mcclson said, noting the district shifted some of those savings into soft costs.

A trustee moved to approve "bid package number three, final bid package for the Horus Man Elementary School project in the amount of $15,547,299," a figure read aloud and clarified during the meeting. The board conducted a roll-call vote with nine members recorded in favor.

Trustees asked about the construction timeline; presenters said abatement work would begin immediately with demolition of the building planned the week after July 6, and heavy equipment mobilization to follow.

The board's approval establishes the contract documents and budgets needed to proceed. The district will publish additional schedule details and contractor correspondence as abatement and site preparation begin.