WEST FARGO - The school board voted 6-0 to award $2.36 million in bids for athletic facilities at the Sheyenne High School/Liberty Middle School site.
The bids were about $360,000 over estimates of YHR Partners, the architectural firm handling the projects. And they're nearly $1 million over the estimates used for planning by the district's Long-Range Facility Task Force. But board members OK'd the bids after Business Manager Mark Lemer assured them the district's school construction projects are $2 million under budget, even with the higher costs and additions to the athletic field plans.
Peterson Cos. of Chisago City, Minn., won the general construction contract with alternate bids for scoreboards, softball bleachers and added irrigation for $1,990,213.
Scott's Electric of Wahpeton, N.D., won the electrical construction contract, with alternates for scoreboards and softball field lights at $373,925.
The athletic complex will include baseball, softball and football fields, an eight-lane track, tennis courts and five practice fields. It will be fully fenced and lighted, said Julie Rokke of YHR.
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The board also voted 6-0 to have Northern Technologies do quality assurance testing for the Liberty Middle School site, and for the school's concrete, masonry, structural steel and parking lots. The firm's bid was listed as $60,691.80 to $86,731.80, depending on the tests the district wants, Lemer said.
That is far less than the $120,000 estimated for the work by Zerr Berg Architects. It's also about a third of the $208,000 expected by the Long-Range Facility Task Force. Lemer said he will monitor Northern's work to keep it close to the low end of their estimate.
The board also voted to encourage the city of West Fargo to choose the low bidder for replacing the parking lot at West Fargo High School and Veterans Memorial Arena with concrete.
That bid, by Adelman Concrete of West Fargo, was $1,525,790.70, only about $26,000 more than the low bid for less durable asphalt.
The board also asks the city to consider a cost split of 80.63 percent for the school district, and 19.37 percent for the West Fargo Park District. The city was asked to create a special assessment district to do the project.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Helmut Schmidt at (701) 241-5583
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