By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer
ARLINGTON — Construction on the new Arlington High School could begin within the next two months after a school board vote to award the $25.7 million building contract.
"I know everyone is anxious," said Greg Helle, executive vice president of Absher Construction Co. of Puyallup, the company that submitted the winning bid.
The bids came in so low that the school district could have the contractor build more than it initially envisioned.
The school board late Monday night approved work for the school building itself and four bids for alternative work, such as the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. It postponed decisions on awarding bids for other work, including fields and tennis courts.
Voters approved a $54 million bond package two years ago that included building a new high school, renovating an elementary school, building a new elementary school and converting the existing high school into a middle school.
A companion bond measure that included building grandstands and a performing arts center for the high school failed.
The district budgeted $31.1 million for the building and a series of improvements ranging from fields and a parking lot to tennis courts and the stadium grandstands. The Absher bid is nearly $1.8 million below the district estimate.
On the list of possible projects is the stadium grandstand.
The district asked contractors to submit bids to build the grandstands, never expecting that there would be money to build them, said Warren Hopkins, a deputy superintendent who is overseeing the high school construction.
"Our primary motivation to include that in the bid was to get hard numbers for what it would cost," Hopkins said. "We did not anticipate even having a bid that would allow us to consider it as an option."
The grandstands will be brought up for public discussion, Hopkins said
"The reason for putting it off is (the board) wants to get community input now that we know it’s a possibility," Hopkins said.
The $2.34 million grandstand bid is good for 60 days.
You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446
or send e-mail to stevick@heraldnet.com.
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