SM-FC school construction forges ahead

The variety of efforts mark progress for the construction program financed by Measure X, which has encountered some challenges since voters approved the tax in 2015.

As fresh dirt is turned over, school board President Shara Watkins said she is heartened to see momentum established toward construction of the facilities long desired by the community.

“We are really, really glad to see these projects are underway,” she said.

Superintendent Joan Rosas shared a similar perspective in a prepared statement.

“The district’s Board of Trustees and administration are happy to report that major work is underway for all four Measure X Phase I projects,” she said. “Given the high construction cost environment, especially in the Bay Area in recent years, reaching this point is a major milestone.”

Most recently, board members in March approved construction bids for a new gym at Bayside Academy and a new gym and classrooms at Abbott Middle School. Initial construction is underway and the two-story Abbott project should be ready for students by July 2020, while the Bayside gym should be prepared for occupancy April 2020, according to a district report.

The Borel Middle School gym and classroom project is lagging behind the other two similar developments, due primarily to the complex nature of construction, said Watkins. Some new classrooms are available, while district officials review bids for gym construction. Should a construction firm be selected by June, gym work could begin in July with hopes that it will be ready by spring 2020, said the report.

For the new Foster City elementary school, officials agreed to purchase the former Charter Square shopping center from the property owner once demolition of the existing site is completed.

Officials agreed to pay $30.1 million for the cleared land, which saves roughly $31 million of a $61 million budget to identify a construction company to build the project. Watkins said demolition should be completed in May, which would align with the timeline for officials to receive bids.

Financing for the new campus as well as gyms and classrooms is offered through the $148 million Measure X bond, which must also address a variety of construction projects in a second phase of construction.

Should a contractor be identified within the project budget, Watkins said she expects Foster City elementary school construction could start in July with an anticipated completion in fall 2020.

As district administrators review offers from builders for the new school, Watkins said officials are simultaneously working with their colleagues at Foster City Hall to address traffic and congestion concerned spurred by the new school’s construction.

The collaboration with Foster City officials marks a departure from previously tumultuous encounters, most notably when Councilman Herb Perez sued the district to block the new school’s construction.

Perez alleged a previous district arrangement with the Charter Square property owner obscured the open bidding process by agreeing to allow the former land owner to also build the school.

Following a lawsuit settlement, the school construction deal fell apart, and district officials last year agreed to purchase the former shopping center land separately and strike out on their own to find a new builder.

Since then, Watkins said designs for the new school have been completed and hope is building among officials to find a construction company able to develop the new campus within the budget identified.

To that end, Watkins said officials were heartened to find most of the previous gym and classroom bids were within an acceptable range, which is encouraging for those examining campus construction prices.

But as the cost of building continues to increase across the Peninsula, Watkins shared measured confidence that the new school price tag would be affordable for the district.

“We won’t know for sure until we get the bids in, but we are approaching it with optimism,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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