The Community Schools of Frankfort Board approved the construction drawings for the new Frankfort Middle School construction project slated to break ground in June 2024.
Representatives from the contractual companies approached the board to present the updated drawings for approval by the board to continue developing the project and move toward advertising bids for construction in November. Superintendent Matt Rhoda commented that with the approval for the construction drawings, the contractors and the board are able to continue toward financing discussions with the budget and plans for the groundbreaking next year.
“We’ve been going down the design list,” Rhoda said. “The very end game is breaking ground and construction. By this approval of construction documents, the next step is getting all the financing in order this spring, and then breaking ground, construction’s the next spot that we go for approval.”
Rhoda continued to state that alongside the bids opening through Tecton, the contractors will be able to continue their work to perfect the smaller-scale details throughout the building, such as floor finishes, decals and more.
“This opens the door for Tecton to be able to get all the bidding done, and it allows the design team to fine tune the rest of the design in all areas so that we are ready to go June of 2024,” Rhoda said.
KJG Architecture owner Kelly Good approached the board to present the updated drawings to the board, which included focal points on the first and second floor plan, the cafeteria and commons area, the new front entrance and the multipurpose music department.
“We identified very early on four goals that you had, which was to enlarge or expand the cafeteria, a new music center and performing arts area and then a secure entrance, which ultimately evolved to taking the offices up front to make that happen,” Good said.
Good stated that the plan highlights the new sixth grade classrooms, which will be placed where the music and choir rooms were initially. Good commented that the team plans to address the board’s request for an expanded cafeteria by removing the interior stage from the cafeteria and relocating it to the commons area, which is intended to increase the amount of seating that the areas are able host.
“We took the stage out because now we have a new performing arts center,” Good said. “We bumped it out into the commons area. Comfortably, we can seat 250. I think it’s key to understand that comfortably 250 is like Easter Sunday at your church. You can do that, but it will be tight.”
The music department remains a top priority for the board and the contractors, and the contractors focused upon floor finishes and movement through the access points from the music rooms to the stage and outside of the building. The doors on both sides of the auditorium would allow access to the auditorium commons with ease of access for visitors and staff.
The contractors focused heavily upon the seating and the multipurpose aspects of the auditorium. The first four rows of the auditorium are expected to host fixed seating with the back rows of the auditorium hosting collapsible seating to align with the board’s vision of a multipurpose area. The seats will collapse into the floor to create a space nearly as large as a basketball court for multipurpose activities. The plans maintained the board’s wishes for an excess of 600 seats in the auditorium, including around 626 seats in total.
Above the auditorium will be the choir, orchestra and band rooms, and the contractors have begun to delve into the smaller details, such as sink placements and storage cabinets for instruments that will be presented in the next few weeks for bids in November.
Another focus of the contracting team was expanding the entrance of the school and increasing security for the staff and students. The new entrance will see the skylight be removed to prevent further leaks that the school has experienced, and the office will be relocated to the front of the school to increase security. The new entrance will be marked and have a new facade implemented with details surrounding the new facade with aluminum-coated metal panels to highlight the improvements.
“What I like about this, you come in the vestibule, then you have to go in through the office or you have to be buzzed right in,” Good said. “The security was a big issue.”
Many aspects of the drawings will receive alternate bids in the event that the bids align with the budget and would be a feasible addition to the drawings. Currently, the plans indicate that the art room will be located on the first floor with alternate bids being advertised for the option to expand to the second floor. The alternate bids will also include the bridge that was proposed to connect the two sides of the school.
The contractors presented an updated budget following last month’s assessment of items that could be acquired at a lower cost, which moved the “red line” downward to help bring the art and business classrooms, an IT allowance and the fire alarm system into the budget.
“We hope that the bridge to connect the two halves of the school can be there,” Good said. “Right now, it’s below the red line, but we’re going to bid it as an alternate just in case that comes in.”
The board unanimously approved the construction drawings with plans to hear bids in the near future as it develops a financial plan by the spring.