Jeff McDonald//May 21, 2014//
Construction leaders celebrated Tuesday’s election results, including passage of Beaverton School District‘s $680 million capital improvement bond measure and others around the state.
The Beaverton bond will provide money for 27 projects, including a $109 million new high school off of Southwest Scholls Ferry Road. The impact on the industry will be immediate and last for years, said John Rakowitz, director of public affairs for Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter.
Beaverton School District facilities manager David Etchart has advice for firms eager to get a piece of the $680 million bond approved by voters.
Other school bond measures that passed will provide: $26.7 million for Fern Ridge School District in Lane and Douglas counties, $18 million for Pleasant Hill School District in Lane County, $2.1 million for Sheridan School District in Yamhill County, and $2 million for the Willamina School District, according to unofficial results posted by the Oregon School Boards Association.
Three school bond measures failed: $65 million for Woodburn School District, $23 million for Yamhill-Carlton School District and $9.4 million for Corbett School District, according to the OSBA.
Also on Tuesday, voters approved a $6 million bond measure for a library expansion in Oregon City. In Canby, voters approved the use of more than $9 million to build a new library and civic center.
Construction industry leaders praised the Beaverton School District for its communication efforts leading up to the election. AGC contributed $20,000 to garner support, Rakowitz said.
“They really made the case that they had thought it all through,” he said. “We don’t just rush out there and give support. They made it clear they had really communicated with the voters and done the work.”
Work will begin in earnest to mobilize projects, said Maureen Wheeler, the district’s communications officer. Some critical repairs will begin this summer; they include a $3 million roof replacement at Sunset High School, a turf replacement at Aloha High School and security projects at various high schools.
Design work will begin immediately on the new high school as well as six other major construction projects – new middle and elementary schools and four school rebuilds. Other work will include bidding and scheduling projects by the end of the year, Wheeler said. The district plans to break ground on the new middle school and high school by May 2015.
“Obviously, this is May and a lot of summer work can’t occur because we need to get bidding and design work done,” Wheeler said. “We probably won’t see a whole lot of construction for at least a year on major construction projects.”
In summer or fall 2015, projects should start kicking in, said Steve Anderson, project executive for P&C Construction, which will bid on Beaverton projects. By 2017 and 2018, construction will be in full swing, he said.
“We did some work for them in … 2006,” he said. “We will definitely pursue the work.”