Hempfield Area to review 1st round of high school renovation bids this week

Hempfield Area School Board members will discuss bids for the first phase of a $132 million high school revitalization project at a public meeting Wednesday.

The special session will be at 3 p.m. in the administration board room at 4347 Route 136.

In addition to identifying the lowest bidder, the board will discuss whether to select any alternate plans for the project, resulting in a potential cost savings, said district Superintendent Tammy Wolicki.

The plan is to gut and renovate the interior of the high school building while leaving most of the exterior intact. It was last estimated by school officials and engineers to cost $132 million.

The cost has risen to that level from an estimated $97.4 million-$109.9 million in January 2022 because of “hyperinflation,” SitelogIQ construction representative Mike Arnold said at a June town hall meeting. The bids will provide more concrete information about the cost.

The project was open for bids for the first phase, which includes some renovations and the Sportsplex addition. According to Pete Szymanski with CORE Architects, about 80,000 square feet of work will be included in this phase.

District officials said in a letter to parents in May that the project’s phased construction is set to begin this month.

The renovation is projected to take three years to complete. Along with remodeling the inside of the building in sections, it will include upgrades to the internal mechanics of the building, including HVAC, electrical fire alarms, plumbing and additional fire protection. Plans for the second phase are still in process.

Hempfield ninth graders will attend classes in the former Harrold Middle School building for the duration of the project. The board approved plans to redistribute middle school students from Hempfield’s three middle school buildings into two, reassigning the Harrold space for ninth graders.

This story is updated to reflect that the school board will review and identify the low bidder for the first phase of the high school renovation project. It will not be voting to approve the bids.