THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 18, 1995 TAG: 9501190560
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
School board members tonight will hash out details of a cost-cutting proposal to bring construction of a new Currituck County high school into line with builders' estimates.
The lowest bid for the 159,455-square-foot facility, to be built next to the existing high school in Barco, was about $15.1 million - about $3.7 million more than the county had anticipated.
The Currituck County Board of Education will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Knapp Junior High School to go over a lengthy list of changes proposed by project architect Michael Ross and a general contractor.
Scores of cuts, if approved, would bring down building costs by $2.3 million. To cut costs more, 18,497 square feet may be taken out of the plans.
The school board already has eliminated an automotive shop and an agri-science area and reduced the size of a media center.
I think we realize we're going to have to regroup and make some cuts that we do not want to make,'' Superintendent W.R. ``Ronnie'' Capps said at a recent work session.
To keep on schedule for a fall 1996 opening, the school board has about a month to solve its construction-cost problem. Renegotiating costs or rebidding are two options.
One reason for the large difference between estimates and actual bids was a rise in costs for building materials - particularly masonry, aluminum and steel - since the school board decided to spend $11.9 million to build a new school, officials said.
Many of the suggestions to be discussed tonight involve substituting less expensive items for more costly and higher-grade materials.
Two-thirds of the proposed cuts ``are either examples of postponing a first cost or decreasing costs by decreasing quality,'' Ross said at the earlier work session.
``They're both taking the costs and pushing them into the future,'' he said.
Among some of the largest reductions and the amounts expected to be saved are:
Changing all-curved roof to a low-slope, flat or shed type - $350,000 to $400,000.
Eliminating mechanical-penthouse and gymnasium mezzanines and decreasing gym volume - $300,000 to $400,000.
Changing or omitting the brick or brick veneer and minimizing banding - $105,000 to $150,000.
Changing standing seam metal panel wall system to exterior insulating finish system - $100,000 to $110,000.
Decreasing quantity of aluminum curtain wall in conjunction with roof redesign - $100,000 to $150,000.
Bart Collins, senior estimator with J.H. Hudson Construction Co. of Greenville, the general contractor that submitted the lowest bid, also submitted $427,000 to $569,000 in cost-cutting measures.
Those include:
Omitting courtyard pavers, planters and sidewalks and using seed only - $50,000 to $60,000.
Decreasing scope of landscaping and sprigging football field in lieu of sodding - $35,000 to $42,000.
Deleting display cases - $20,000 to $30,000.
Providing standard gray tinting in lieu of solar gray glass at exterior windows - $20,000 to $25,000. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
HIGH SCHOOL COST-CUTTING ITEMS
About 150 cost-cutting measures for a new Currituck County high
school will be debated at 7:30 tonight at Knapp Junior High School.
Many of the cuts involve plumbing, structural and electrical
modifications. Some other, relatively minor changes would alter the
look or feel of the high school, in Barco. Those changes include:
Eliminating canopies and roof overhangs where practical.
Changing gym floor from wood to synthetic all-purpose material.
Eliminating electric hand dryers.
Substituting an asphalt pavement for a stone-based parking lot
for students.
Using smaller trees in landscaping.
Deleting flag pole.
Deleting gym divider curtain.
Using one color of brick and eliminating colored mortar.
Change lockers to standard-gauge metal and deleting built-in
combination locks for padlocks.
Reducing the amount of kitchen equipment.
by CNB