Board plans for school construction

The Whitefish School Board last week began sorting through which professionals it plans to hire for the construction of a new high school.

During a special work session, board members said they will likely favor hiring an architect, construction manager and owner’s representative for the $19 million project. The district is hoping to break ground on the upgrade this fall.

The board is expected to vote on final hirings at upcoming meetings. The school board was set to meet again Tuesday after presstime.

Trustee Dave Fern said last week he favors keeping DLR Group and Jackola Engineering on the project.

“They’ve done what we’ve asked and more. They’ve stayed within our budget,” Fern said. “They worked with the public, teachers and administrators.”

The firms have served as the architects during the conceptual design phase of the project. Last month, voters approved a $14 million bond based upon preliminary designs for a 120,000-square-foot facility. The building will be a mix of new construction and renovation to the school building.

Trustee Charlie Abell said he favors hiring a local firm.

DLR Group has offices across the country with the closest located in Seattle. Jackola Engineering, which also worked on the design, is in Kalispell.

Fern said the district originally interviewed several architects for the project, and DLR rose to the top as the best choice. He acknowledged that hiring locally is important, but that DLR has worked well with the district thus far.

The board last week decided to begin talks with DLR on a potential contract for the design work.

If a contract can’t be reached, the board will likely do a request for proposal to solicit architectural firms. Going through the RFP process could delay selection of a firm by several weeks.

Steeplechase Development Advisors has been the district’s advisor on the project for the last two years. The board decided to contact the firm to see if it will continue working with the district until an architect and construction manager are selected.

“Steeplechase has the expertise to be our go between,” Fern said. “They can work to assist us until we get people on board.”

The school board continues to weigh its options, but is considering hiring an owner’s representative in addition to the architect and construction manger for the upgrade. The owner’s representative would be expected to oversee the entire project on behalf of the school district.

City of Whitefish engineer Karin Hilding addressed the board about the potential for LEED certification for the new building. The certification provides verification that a building has been constructed with green construction and for lower energy consumption.

“LEED has been shown to create a healthier environment,” Hilding said. “A ventilation system can provide better oxygen for students and natural light has been known to decrease infections.”

Hilding said LEED building involves following certain guidelines from design through construction of a project. The benefits including energy saving that can last into the future.

“The school can perform well over the years,” she said. “There is a number of grants that go with LEED also.”

Hilding suggested the district investigate LEED building as it works through the design process for the school.