Board approves design development documents for Referendum 1, clears way for construction documents

The Cook County Public Schools board on June 18 approved design development documents for the district's Referendum 1 construction project, allowing staff to complete construction documents in July and put the work out to bid in August.

Jason from ICS, who presented the construction update, said the referendum budget is $26,313,108 and that current construction costs total $26,292,094, leaving an anticipated surplus of $31,014 and a remaining contingency of $714,810. "The budget is $26,313,108. The current construction cost is at $26,292,094," Jason said, summarizing the project's financial position.

Jason reviewed recent change orders and credits: an AJ O'Brien change order for $25,114.43 (HVAC controls and plumbing in the cafeteria), a BCI adjustment of $16,853.66 related to bleacher/seat choices, a $932 Hunt Electric change order to relocate a water fountain, and a $167,500 credit from Northland for value engineering under the bus loop. He also described the project's change-order approval thresholds: superintendent approval for changes under $30,000, PAC review for $30,000–$50,000 when on budget, and board review for items above $50,000 or out-of-budget requests.

The presentation covered site progress—saw cutting, underground plumbing, framing, a completed retaining wall, furniture procurement for the cafeteria, and athletics-area design changes including storage, concession placement, press box, and revised restroom counts after obtaining a state occupancy variance. On athletics, Jason said the pole-vault area was removed from the immediate plan for safety, insurance and coach-certification reasons and that track-surface and turf reviews are scheduled for later this week.

Board members discussed chair and seating choices for theater flexibility, visibility and scoreboard placement on the field, and the tradeoffs of reduced outdoor-learning scope to stay within budget. Jason said the schematic construction estimate for a referenced component was previously $9,072,456 and the current estimate was $9,025,512, noting some line items rose while others fell but that the project remained "on track with our budget."

A motion to approve the design development documents carried by voice vote. Following the vote, the board will ask to approve construction documents at the next meeting and expects bidding and contract awards later this summer and early fall.

Provenance: Topic introduced by the construction update and budget figures presented by Jason from ICS; board vote on the motion concluded the item.