Plans progress for new school building

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Final estimated costs for the construction of the Urbana pre-kindergarten to grade 8 building were approved Tuesday.

The school board approved the $35 million estimated cost – officially called the Guaranteed Maximum Price – to construct the elementary/middle school on South U.S. Route 68. Now construction manager Gilbane Building Company can move forward with bidding the project and getting started with construction.

The building will be near Vintage Drive Thru, south of Urbana. The property still needs to be annexed into the city. Superintendent Charles Thiel said the school district is discussing with city of Urbana and Urbana Township officials several details, such as potential variances for the building, the sewer line and roadway improvements.

South U.S. Route 68 will have a turn lane in front of the school, Thiel said. It may or may not have a traffic light. The Ohio Department of Transportation is not requiring it for the project, but the city of Urbana may.

The plan is to begin construction in the spring. Construction has begun on the new Urbana High School at its current location on Washington Avenue. Students are estimated to be able to use the new high school by March 2018, though it is predicted to be completed in summer 2019.

In other action, the school board approved a resolution amending the architect/engineer agreement with Fanning/Howey Associates for the building project. The amendment is to address the additional work needed to change the building site from the original proposed site off Community Drive near the Champaign Family YMCA to the new South U.S. Route 68 site. Originally, the district planned to locate the school on that Community Drive parcel, but problems with the proximity to the city’s former landfill and potential issues with placement of the roadway access resulted in the U.S. Route 68 location.

Additional costs resulted from changing the site, Thiel said. The estimated additional cost was $150,000, but now is determined to be about $106,000, he said.

These are proposed colors tor inside Urbana’s new pre-kindergarten to grade 8 building on U.S. Route 68. Work on the property is expected to start this spring.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/02/web1_PK-colors.jpgThese are proposed colors tor inside Urbana’s new pre-kindergarten to grade 8 building on U.S. Route 68. Work on the property is expected to start this spring. Casey S. Elliott | Urbana Daily Citizen

By Casey S. Elliott

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Casey S. Elliott may be reached at 937-652-1331 ext. 1772 or on Twitter @UDCElliott.

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