Arlington gives school green light

By Brian Kelly

Herald Writer

ARLINGTON — If all goes well, construction of Arlington’s fifth elementary school could begin within a month.

The Arlington School Board awarded the construction job to Allied Construction Associates on Monday. The Everett firm had the lowest base bid of $6.5 million.

Called Pioneer Elementary, the school will be the first one built at the northwest corner of Eaglefield Drive and Highway 9 with funds from a $54 million bond measure Arlington voters approved in March. The measure also will pay for a new high school, renovating or reconstructing Presidents Elementary School, and converting Arlington High School into a second middle school.

"We’re just real excited about it," said Scott Bjella, co-owner of Allied Construction along with Steve Romberger.

"We know a lot of people in Arlington because of our kids being involved in sports and competing against them," he said.

Indeed, Allied Construction is no stranger to schools in the area. The company recently wrapped up remodeling projects in the Edmonds School District at Alderwood Middle School, Hilltop Elementary School, Lynndale Elementary School, Madrona School and Mountlake Terrace High School. The firm also built the new middle school in Granite Falls, and last month completed an addition to the high school there five months ahead of schedule.

Public projects are only half of the company’s business, Bjella said. The firm also is in charge of the exterior renovation of Frontier Bank’s main office, as well as other projects in Everett.

Nine construction companies submitted bids on the Pioneer Elementary project, ranging from Allied Construction’s low bid of $6.5 million to $7.3 million by Vemo Co.

With land acquisition, design, site clearing and other costs, the project is expected to cost approximately $10.6 million. The 58,000-square-foot building will have about 30 classrooms and serve 650 students.

Phase one, including clearing and grading the site, installing utilities and creating a wetland area, started in July and should be finished in a couple of weeks, said Heidi Berger-Hansen, capital projects manager for the Arlington district.

The school should be substantially finished by next summer.

"That gives us, hopefully, part of July and August to move in and get the teachers set up," Berger-Hansen said.

The new high school project will go out to bid near the end of December. The $44 million school is expected to be ready for students by fall 2003.

You can call Herald Writer Brian Kelly at 425-339-3422 or send e-mail to kelly@heraldnet.com.

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