The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Joplin Metro

Discussion

August 20, 2008

R-8 officials open bids on renovation of North Middle School

By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

The actual costs for renovating and adding onto North Middle School will be more than originally estimated, but not as much as Joplin R-8 School District officials thought.

District officials opened bids on the project Wednesday afternoon at the administration building.

Crossland Construction Co., based in Columbus, Kan., submitted the apparent lowest bid with a base proposal of $18.97 million. Crossland also submitted the shortest construction schedule of the four companies that bid on the project. Crossland posed finishing the project within 450 days.

When the R-8 Board of Education approved the plans for the North Middle School project last month, the district’s architectural firm, Patterson, Latimer, Jones, Brannon, Denham Inc. of Joplin, estimated the cost for the 93,000-square-foot addition and renovation at $20 million — $4.5 million more than the board originally budgeted for the project.

“I was pleased,” said new R-8 Superintendent C.J. Huff about the bids. “After the initial estimates with the architects, ($18.9 million) sounds better (than $20 million). It’s more palatable.”

Board president Anne Sharp said she had hoped the bids would come in closer to the board’s original estimate, but she said those estimates were made four years ago during the bond-issue campaign, and construction costs have risen significantly since then.

Sharp said the district does have the funds to pay for the difference, partly because it made more money off the bonds than officials originally projected. Paul Barr, R-8 chief financial officer, said the district made $2.6 million more than originally estimated on the bonds.

According to the bids, the district could cut more than $400,000 from the project by not adding a plant-science room to the building and new fencing on the west side of the school’s property.

The R-8 administrative staff will take the bids, confirm the data and crunch the numbers. Huff will have a recommendation for the board during a retreat scheduled for Aug. 28. The board then will vote.

The plans

The plans for North Middle School call for the existing 60,000-square-foot building to be stripped down to a shell. To that space, 93,000 square feet of new construction will be added. The school will have 25 classrooms, seven special-education rooms, a new gymnasium, a health room, more than twice as many computer labs as the old school, rooms for band, vocal and drama programs, larger art and family-sciences rooms, and a new, larger auditorium.

The current auditorium will become a media center and reading room, and the new auditorium will have space for 730 audience seats and more than 100 students on stage. The new gymnasium will be big enough to hold two sporting events simultaneously. It will seat about 1,000 people.





Base bids



Crossland Construction: $18,970,000.

Branco Enterprises: $19,390,000.

Dalton-Killinger Construction: $19,965,412.

FlintCo Constructive Solutions: $20,800,000.

Text Only
Joplin Metro
  • Ruby-Sapp-obit.jpg Longtime Democrat dies at 81

    Sapp, 81, died Thursday. Funeral services were Monday at the First Presbyterian Church of Joplin. A longtime Jasper County Democratic committeewoman and volunteer, Sapp for years was secretary to the county’s central committee.

    August 9, 2010 1 Photo

  • Motivational speaker offers free marriage course

    Presented by Mark Gungor, the course is being offered free to the community. The event is being held to aid in tornado relief. 

    January 12, 2012

  • District sends faculty, administrators on site visits

    With the design phase of several buildings in Joplin Schools ending in May, the district has sent 66 administration, faculty, parents and community members on site visits to 22 schools and two technology company headquarters across the country.

    January 11, 2012

  • 011012 Jop HS mural1_72.jpg Mural depicting Joplin High School dedicated

    A four-paneled mural depicting the recent history of Joplin High School was dedicated at the Memorial 9th- and 10th-grade Center Tuesday morning. The mural will be moved to the new high school when it is completed in 2014.

    January 10, 2012 4 Photos

  • Carl Junction chamber creating new committees

    The Carl Junction Chamber of Commerce is kicking off three new committees this week with meetings scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday.

    January 9, 2012

  • Body of missing Joplin man found

    The body of a missing Joplin man was discovered this afternoon inside his home in the Royal Heights neighborhood of Joplin.

    January 3, 2012

  • Wildcat Glades nature center receives $50,000 grant

    The Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center has received a $50,000 TogetherGreen Innovation Grant, which is being provided through an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota.

    October 21, 2011

  • Joplin shooting victim’s name released

    The Joplin Police Department today released the name of a woman fatally shot in her home early Thursday and acknowledged that the shooting was reported as a suicide attempt.

    October 21, 2011

  • Barry Manilow to deliver donated instruments

    Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow will visit Joplin next week to donate more than $300,000 in musical instruments to replace those lost during the May 22 tornado.

    October 21, 2011

  • Extreme Makeover releases names of families

    "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has released more details about the build in the 2400 block of Connor Avenue, including the names of the seven families. They are:

    October 19, 2011