Practice gyms key in Dist. 214's $13.9 million building project plan
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is planning $13.9 million in building projects at all district buildings this summer - chief among them practice gymnasium additions at Wheeling and Elk Grove high schools.
The school board Thursday night approved bids from dozens of contractors and subcontractors that will be doing the work, including roofing, flooring, electrical, plumbing, masonry and painting.
The bigger-ticket items - including the $3.5 million gymnasium additions, $2.5 million Wheeling music area addition, and $750,000 Wheeling pool renovation - are part of a multiyear district capital program. In 2014, district officials held listening sessions with teachers, students, parents and the community to identify $45 million in projects that could be done with reserve funds.
It's already resulted in the new $13.5 million pool at Prospect High School that opened last August, $1 million Prospect theater renovation, and $1.5 million Hersey High School library upgrade.
"The idea was to provide something for each school," said Ted Birren, the district's director of operations.
The capital work approved Thursday also includes smaller building maintenance projects at all district schools, of which the district does about $4 million annually.
Here's a closer look at all the summer 2017 projects:
• The 11,000-square-foot Wheeling and Elk Grove gym additions will help eliminate stacking of after-school practices that keep some students at school as late as 10 p.m., Birren said. The spaces will be wide enough for a full basketball/volleyball court, but a drop-curtain can also split the space into two full-size courts. While the gyms are intended for practices and physical education classes, temporary bleachers can also be brought in for games. Both projects are anticipated to start after spring break and finish by early November.
• Wheeling's 10,000-square-foot music area addition will house the school band and orchestra, while the choral program will go into the existing band room that is being refurbished. Construction starts in the summer and is expected to conclude in mid-October.
• Wheeling's pool facility, which is almost 50 years old, will get a $750,000 facelift - such as new deck tiles and lighting - to bring it up to par with the other three district pools. Elk Grove's pool will get a new disinfection system. Both pool projects start after water polo season ends in the spring and will conclude by the start of school in August.
• Elk Grove's auditorium will get new seats, flooring, paint and a stage floor. The seating capacity will increase by five seats to 480.
• Other infrastructure work will take place at all six district high schools and the administration center, including plumbing, electrical and roofing.
Still to come in summer 2018 is a small theater at Rolling Meadows High School and music room addition at Buffalo Grove High School. Birren said all of the other projects so far have been on budget, so there is enough money left for what is still to be done.