ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060063
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Roanoke County school officials' budget fears came true Tuesday.
The cost of a new gymnasium for Northside High School could be $2.3 million more than the original estimate, even though the gym will be smaller than what some fans had hoped for.
The Roanoke County School Board is expected to ask the Board of Supervisors for more money to finance the project, which was expected to cost $3.5 million when planning began two years ago.
Five bids were opened Tuesday and ranged from $5.67 million to $5.82 million. They were so close that architects declined to identify an apparent low bidder until they look closely at alternate bids and unit prices.
"This is too close to call. We will have to review them before we say who is low," said Mark McConnel, an architect with Motley and Associates of Roanoke. "These are some very tight, very competitive bids."
Architects warned in the summer that a big increase in construction costs in the past year could cause the gym's cost to exceed $5 million, but school officials had hoped prices would drop by the time bids were opened.
They were disappointed Tuesday.
"We will have to wait to see what the School Board does, but I think the board wants to move ahead with the project," Superintendent Deanna Gordon said.
Chairman Jerry Canada has said he agrees with Northside fans who had urged the School Board to ask the supervisors for more money if the bids were higher than the budget.
The project is being financed through a loan from the Virginia Public School Authority. The supervisors could seek additional loan money.
Besides the gym, the project includes a 350-seat auditorium and four classrooms at Northside Middle School, which is near the high school. The gym will be used by the high school, but it will be at the middle school.
McConnel said school officials could negotiate with the low bidder to delay part of the project to lower the price. School Board members have said the gym has priority. The auditorium and classrooms could be built later.
School officials could also reduce the scope of the project and the size of the gym to lower the price.
Northside fans would likely oppose a smaller gymnasium because seating has been an issue. Some wanted a 3,000- to 4,000-seat gym, but they reluctantly settled for 2,240 seats after architects warned of the big jump in construction costs.
Northside's current gym seats about 1,000. More than 2,000 fans have attended some of the school's basketball games at Salem High School and Roanoke College. Attendance has risen sharply with the team's success in recent years.
Fans have said there is no point in building a new gym unless it has more seats than the current gym.
At one point, school officials discussed the possibility of a gym and field house for Northside that would have cost $8 million, but that plan was abandoned because of the cost.
Homer Duff, director of facilities and operations for county schools, said the school system's construction committee will review the bids and make a recommendation next week to the School Board.
Duff said the final cost for the project could be slightly higher because some equipment and furniture are not included in the bids opened Tuesday.
If the supervisors provide more money, construction could begin soon. The specifications call for the gym to be finished within 11 months so it could be ready for the 1996-97 basketball season.
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