Education construction stays lively

A couple of large education-related construction projects in the Spokane area are winding toward completion, but more are preparing to launch, which should help keep that sector of the building industry flourishing here for the rest of this year, and beyond.

At least $143 million in work is under way, and education projects worth more than another $204 million are being planned, with work on some slated to start soon.

One of the Spokane area's larger recent education projects, Washington State University at Spokane's $34 million Academic Center in the Riverpoint Higher Education Park east of downtown, is well along and is expected to be completed this summer.

Coming in close behind it at Riverpoint, though, is another big WSU project, a planned $34.6 million building to house the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing. That project is expected to get rolling there this fall with site preparation and possibly some initial construction.

The nursing building will include five stories and about 80,000 square feet of floor space. It will be built along the north side of Spokane Falls Boulevard, just south of the WSU-Spokane Health Sciences Building, and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.

It was sent back to the drawing board for redesign last fall, and was reduced in size by more than 20,000 square feet, after construction cost estimates came in $4 million over budget due partly to increased costs for concrete, steel, and other building materials. The redesign still is wrapping up.

Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, is designing the building, together with design consultant LMN Architects, of Seattle, and Graham Construction & Management Inc., of Spokane, will build it.

The new Academic Center building is located between WSU-Spokane's Health Sciences and Phase One Classroom buildings, near the center of the Riverpoint campus, and will house classrooms, offices, and the campus library. It was designed by Northwest Architectural Co., of Spokane, and is being erected by Graham.

Also worthy of note near there is the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute's new $6 million technology center, although construction of that two-story, 35,000-square-foot structure on the south side of Riverpoint was completed about a month ago. Northwest Architectural designed that building, and R.B. Goebel General Contractor Inc., of Spokane, was the general contractor.

Still undetermined is what will happen with the old six-story Jensen-Byrd building, which sits on five acres of land on the south side of the campus. WSU recently offered the property for lease, and expects to begin evaluating development proposals for the property from two finalists shortly.

Spokane Public Schools

Garco Construction Inc., of Spokane, is expected to begin work in June on the long-awaited $59 million expansion and renovation of Rogers High School, in the northeast corner of the city.

The big project will include renovating the original 1932 art-deco building and adding about 165,000 square feet of floor space to the structure, which will replace some additions built in the 1950s and 1960s.

The new space will include a student commons capable of accommodating more than 700 students, as well as new classrooms, expanded performing-arts facilities, and a new fitness center. Also, a clock tower will be erected near the commons entry. Garco, which is both the general contractor and construction manager for the project, is expected to complete the project in the 20082009 school year. Garco also recently was named general contractor and construction manager for a planned $59 million modernization of Shadle Park High School, also on the North Side, but construction of that project isn't expected to begin until the fall of 2007.

Garco will participate in the design of the Shadle improvements with Spokane Public Schools staff and Northwest Architectural. That design work is expected to take more than 18 months to complete. The construction project is scheduled to be completed before the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

Garco also is the general contractor for a $29 million expansion and remodeling project at West Valley High School, in Spokane Valley, that got under way last fall.

That project will add about 80,000 square feet of floor space to the school, located at 8301 E. Buckeye, giving it a total of about 210,000 square feet. Initial work is focusing on construction of a 55,000-square-foot gymnasium and events facility north of the current school building. That structure is to be completed this fall. Along with considerable renovation, the project also will include construction of a new student commons area, kitchen, and additional classrooms.

The school is continuing to operate during the project, and the work is scheduled to be completed in time for start of the 2007-2008 school year.

On Spokane's South Hill, Levermer Construction Inc., of Spokane, is working on a $10.3 million gymnasium and fitness center at Ferris High School, at 3020 E. 37th. The 54,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed next January.

The new gymnasium complex will include a main-events gym, a practice gym, a weight room, and an aerobics room, as well as other fitness rooms. It's being built just south of the school's current 48,000-square-foot gym at the southeast corner of the campus. Northwest Architectural designed the structure.

Northwestern Construction of Washington Inc., of Spokane, was expected to be awarded a $4.8 million contract shortly at North Central High School on the city's North Side for airsystem improvements. The project is scheduled to be carried out in two phases, with the bulk of the work to be done this summer and in the summer of 2007 while students are away.

Also at North Central, bids are expected to be sought this spring for an estimated $1.2 million project to reroof the high school and to relocate tennis courts currently located on the roof of the school's north wing. The tennis courts are to be moved permanently to a site the school district owns on the south side of Indiana Avenue just east of a softball field developed about a year and a half ago.

Meanwhile, work is winding toward a scheduled completion this summer on three replacement elementary schools-Lidgerwood, Ridgeview, and Lincoln Heights-that have a combined cost of about $26 million to build and equip.

Madsen Mitchell Evenson & Conrad PLLC, of Spokane, designed the new Lidgerwood Elementary School being built at 325 E. Rowan, and Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane, is the general contractor for the project.

T.W. Clark Construction LLC, of Spokane Valley, is the general contractor for the new Ridgeview Elementary School going up at 1515 W. Joseph, and ALSC Architects PS, of Spokane, designed the project.

Integrus designed the new Lincoln Heights Elementary School being built at 3322 E. 22nd, and Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the general contractor for that project.

Spokane Public Schools says it plans to upgrade heating, ventilation, and airconditioning systems and install new roofs and insulation next year at the final two of eight elementary schools that were targeted for the improvements. Those projects are ranging in cost from about $2.1 million to $2.4 million per school.

Garfield, at 222 W. Knox, and Longfellow, at 800 E. Providence, are the two elementary schools still slated for the upgrades, coming on the heels of similar projects at Arlington, Sheridan, Willard, Grant, Regal, and Bemiss.

Gonzaga University

Gonzaga expects to wrap up work this summer on a $10.5 million student housing project at the former site of Colonial Bowl, at the west end of the campus. The new complex is located on the block bounded by Sharp and Boone avenues and Ruby and Pearl streets and will have 75 three-bedroom apartments on the upper four floors, and some retail space on the ground floor.

Wolfe Architectural Group PS, of Spokane, designed the project, and Walker Construction is the general contractor.

The university hopes to begin putting in a new baseball stadium this spring at the northwest comer of Trent Avenue and Cincinnati Street where a U.S. Postal Service annex formerly was located. Gonzaga bought the property several years ago and tore down the big annex building last year.

"Our current plan is to get the drainage in, get it leveled, and put natural grass in there," in anticipating of having it available for use in the spring of 2007, says Gonzaga spokesman Dale Goodwin.

The plan for now is to put the former ballpark's stands and press box, which were saved, in place at the new location for now. A later phase of the project calls for the construction of a brick stadium that would include a clubhouse, offices, restrooms, concession stands, and other amenities, but Goodwin says the scheduling of that work will depend on how long it takes to raise the money needed to complete the project. The total cost of the project is expected to be between $2.5 million and $5 million.

The new ballpark will be situated so that home plate will be at the northwest corner of the old postal property, with the outfield wall on the southeast corner, near Trent and Cincinnati.

Also worthy of note, though modest in cost, are new south and west campus entrance enhancements that Goodwin says are expected to be completed there and at Ruby and Sharp, respectively, by September. Those enhancements, he says, will include "Gonzaga University" spelled out in large letters on rock walls, and also will incorporate large columns and granite balls similar to those seen elsewhere on campus.

The university has pushed back the projected launch date-from late this year to early 2007-for a $14 million performing arts center that's to be constructed on the west side of the campus, just north of the Jundt Art Center. Plans call for that structure to include a 350-seat theater, office space, and rehearsal rooms, and to take about a year to complete.

Once that project is wrapped up, Gonzaga plans to spend about $2.5 million to expand the Russell Theatre, located in its Administration Building, to 550 seats from 250 now and to transform it into a concert hall and auditorium.

Eastern Washington University

On the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney, work is wrapping up on a $15.4 million expansion and renovation of Senior Hall, which houses EWU's social work programs.

The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of this month, has involved construction of a three-story, 19,000-square-foot addition onto the 28,000-square-foot original structure. The older part of the building also has been renovated as part of the project. ALSC designed the project, and Kearsley Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the general contractor.

Another project nearing completion on the EWU campus is a new $2.4 million visitors center, constructed near Showalter and Sutton halls. The 2,500square-foot building is slated to open in early April and is intended to serve as a showcase and formal entrance to the campus.

A project scheduled to go to bid soon there is a $2 million partial renovation of Cheney Hall to accommodate two new laboratory spaces that will support the university's electrical-engineering program. That project is expected to be completed by August.

Commmity colleges

At Spokane Community College, Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, is moving toward completion of a new building to house the school's math and science programs.

Work on the 65,000-square-foot structure got under way about a year ago and is expected to be completed in June. Lydig's construction contract is $9.7 million, but the total project cost was expected to be about $15.7 million.

The new structure is located just east of the campus's tennis courts and north of the automotive building. Northwest Architectural designed the project.

Meanwhile, Community Colleges of Spokane expects to seek bids next month for construction of a 69,000square-foot Business and Social Sciences Building on its Spokane Falls Community College campus. The new structure would replace three older buildings. The total cost of that project currently is estimated at $20.3 million.