Construction delay costly for District 203

Construction crews may be back to work at Naperville Central High School, but the weeklong delay due to a labor strike is likely to cost the district at least $500,000.

Naperville Unit District 203 officials say they will pay the additional cost with contingencies built into the budget for the $87.7 million renovation to the school. Despite work having resumed, there are still hurdles to cross in getting the project done.

Work came to a halt July 1 when the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 and Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity went on strike. The unions are at odds over pay and benefits with the Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association and Excavators Inc.

A week after the strike began, the district reached a deal with the unions that exempts the Naperville Central renovation. Work at the school resumed despite hundreds of other projects around the region remaining stalled.

Crews are on now on site seven days a week working both first and second shifts to try to get the work done before school begins Aug. 25.

"The progress is substantial," school board member Terry Fielden said during a facilities subcommittee meeting Wednesday. "The progress is very visible."

Tim Bickert, project manager with IHC Construction Companies, said it is too soon to know exactly how much it will cost to make up for the weeklong delay. However, $500,000 is how much the district expected to save when it gained an extra week of construction by deciding this past winter to push the start of school back to Aug. 25.

"With having that disruption thrown in in the middle of the job, it's reasonable that lost time could equate to that much or more," Bickert said.

Board member Susan Crotty said the district did not cause the disruption and asked whose pocket the money would come from.

"If you want to get done, the school has to pay for it," Bickert told her.

Fielden said the board needs a more firm cost estimate. However, he expects the district has enough of a contingency built into the budget to cover it.

Even though construction crews are back to work at Central, the project isn't necessarily in the clear. Fellow union workers are still on strike, which has made it difficult for workers at Central to obtain some of the equipment and materials they need to get the job done. Laborers would have to cross picket lines to procure these things from off site.

Fielden challenged their reluctance to do so.

"That's in contrary to the agreement (with the unions) which says very explicitly that we'll work in harmony to reduce the overall cost of the project," he said.

Officials plan to talk to the unions about making equipment and materials available while the strike is ongoing. Cranes and asphalt are among their biggest concerns.

Ongoing construction also will affect fall sports teams that will soon start to practice. Ralph Weaver, director of facilities and construction, said the football teams will be able to access the field but not the weight room. The field house and pool also will not be available. Weaver has advised teams to find alternate locations at which to practice this summer.

The work at Central, 440 W. Aurora Ave., includes a three-story addition that will house all major subject areas. The 3,000-student school also will get infrastructure upgrades, a new learning resource center, new athletic and music space, improved traffic flow and synthetic turf on its football field.

The entire project is scheduled to wrap up by December 2011.