Post by sushi on Mar 25, 2008 6:18:16 GMT -6
D204 construction facing time crunch
Can't break ground until study results made public
March 25, 2008
By Tim Waldorf
twaldorf@scn1.com
Work will have to begin soon if Indian Prairie School District 204 intends to open Metea Valley High School by August 2009.
"I think we need to be on land, moving dirt, by absolutely the middle of April," Superintendent Stephen Daeschner told The Sun in mid-March. "We'd like to be on it sooner. We've set things up. We've got contracts in preparation for that, but if we can't do that, then we really begin to run into a little trouble."
» Click to enlarge image
District 204 board President Mark Metzger said he is still unsure when a contract will be inked for the purchase of the site at Eola and Molitor roads.
Sun file
With that deadline looming, the district is still trying to secure the necessary permission to release the results of a two-phase environmental study of a portion of property where it wants to build the school.
"I've given up giving dates," District 204 board President Mark Metzger said. "We have a meeting with some folks tomorrow that should shed some light on that."
The district has had the results of those tests for two weeks, but, due to a confidentiality agreement with the various parties involved in the land purchase, it has been unable to release them. Those parties have agreed to only release the results when all parties are ready to do so, he said.
They were not ready to do so in time for Monday's District 204 board meeting. This delay has caused concern among some who have criticized the district for selecting a school site with these kinds of environmental concerns. Good news doesn't take this long to share, they've contended.
"I'm quite certain that those who have a negative opinion of the situation are spinning this with much glee," Metzger said.
Until a year ago, Midwest Generation operated a peaker plant on 17 of the 88 acres at Eola and Molitor roads, which has been selected as the site for the new school. The district intends to purchase this property for an estimated $16.5 million, contingent upon the successful clean-up of any portion of the property that may be contaminated by diesel fuel or antifreeze, which are chemicals that were commonly used at the site.
To ensure the site is a safe location for a school, the district commissioned tests to determine the extent to which the land has been contaminated, and the kind of effort that will be required to clean it up.
The delay in releasing his information did not keep the board from approving more expenditures for the school's construction, adding steel to a list of bids it approved contingent upon the purchase of the Eola site, the annexation of that property into Aurora, which is schedule to occur tonight, and the conclusion of a special meeting called to review and publish the environmental study's results. During its March 10 meeting, District 204's board approved similar bids for mass grading, structural excavation and concrete foundation, and precast concrete wall panels, roof panels, beams and columns.
Metzger explained the board's decision to approve these bids before the district publishes the environmental study results or finalizes the purchase of the Eola property.
"What it really boils down to is there's lot of lead time that contractors need. If we issued them a bid tonight, even if we were in the ground, they can't start working tomorrow. They've got to get insurance certificates. They've got to staff up. They've got to reserve equipment - rent equipment in some cases. This allows them to start working on all of those things that require lead time."
Metzger said he's not sure when a contract to purchase the property will be inked.
"I'll close when it's ready to close," he said. "It's not ready to close yet."
Can't break ground until study results made public
March 25, 2008
By Tim Waldorf
twaldorf@scn1.com
Work will have to begin soon if Indian Prairie School District 204 intends to open Metea Valley High School by August 2009.
"I think we need to be on land, moving dirt, by absolutely the middle of April," Superintendent Stephen Daeschner told The Sun in mid-March. "We'd like to be on it sooner. We've set things up. We've got contracts in preparation for that, but if we can't do that, then we really begin to run into a little trouble."
» Click to enlarge image
District 204 board President Mark Metzger said he is still unsure when a contract will be inked for the purchase of the site at Eola and Molitor roads.
Sun file
With that deadline looming, the district is still trying to secure the necessary permission to release the results of a two-phase environmental study of a portion of property where it wants to build the school.
"I've given up giving dates," District 204 board President Mark Metzger said. "We have a meeting with some folks tomorrow that should shed some light on that."
The district has had the results of those tests for two weeks, but, due to a confidentiality agreement with the various parties involved in the land purchase, it has been unable to release them. Those parties have agreed to only release the results when all parties are ready to do so, he said.
They were not ready to do so in time for Monday's District 204 board meeting. This delay has caused concern among some who have criticized the district for selecting a school site with these kinds of environmental concerns. Good news doesn't take this long to share, they've contended.
"I'm quite certain that those who have a negative opinion of the situation are spinning this with much glee," Metzger said.
Until a year ago, Midwest Generation operated a peaker plant on 17 of the 88 acres at Eola and Molitor roads, which has been selected as the site for the new school. The district intends to purchase this property for an estimated $16.5 million, contingent upon the successful clean-up of any portion of the property that may be contaminated by diesel fuel or antifreeze, which are chemicals that were commonly used at the site.
To ensure the site is a safe location for a school, the district commissioned tests to determine the extent to which the land has been contaminated, and the kind of effort that will be required to clean it up.
The delay in releasing his information did not keep the board from approving more expenditures for the school's construction, adding steel to a list of bids it approved contingent upon the purchase of the Eola site, the annexation of that property into Aurora, which is schedule to occur tonight, and the conclusion of a special meeting called to review and publish the environmental study's results. During its March 10 meeting, District 204's board approved similar bids for mass grading, structural excavation and concrete foundation, and precast concrete wall panels, roof panels, beams and columns.
Metzger explained the board's decision to approve these bids before the district publishes the environmental study results or finalizes the purchase of the Eola property.
"What it really boils down to is there's lot of lead time that contractors need. If we issued them a bid tonight, even if we were in the ground, they can't start working tomorrow. They've got to get insurance certificates. They've got to staff up. They've got to reserve equipment - rent equipment in some cases. This allows them to start working on all of those things that require lead time."
Metzger said he's not sure when a contract to purchase the property will be inked.
"I'll close when it's ready to close," he said. "It's not ready to close yet."
.
