Bids awarded for construction of Bridges Area Learning Center building

Prior Lake American

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board awarded bids Monday totaling almost $2 million for the construction of the new Bridges Area Learning Center building.

The bids were awarded to:

• Lloyd's Construction Services for earth and site work in the amount of $235,595

• Kusske Construction for site utilities in the amount of $512,075

• Bituminous Roadways for paving, curbs and gutters in the amount of $126,525

• Foundation Services for aggregate piers in the amount of $90,000

• Culinex for food service equipment in the amount of $62,342

• Thelen Heating and Roofing for plumbing, piping and heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the amount of $645,000

• Laketown Electric for electrical work in the amount of $310,000.

The money for the new building and the project bids comes from a $109.3 million referendum approved by voters in November 2017.

The center, the alternative high school program in the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools District, is currently located in a strip mall on Franklin Trail in Prior Lake. Its new building will be next to Twin Oaks Middle School on Fish Point Road in Prior Lake.

The 2017 referendum also included money for a new elementary school and additions to Prior Lake High School and six other schools.

The board rejected bids for general construction, aluminum entrances, fire protection and HVAC controls, as these bids came in over budget and will require redesign and rebidding, according to the project memo.

A representative consultant from consulting firm Nexus Solutions said the rebidding would only take another two weeks and that construction on the building could commence in the meantime.

The school board approved design plans for the building on July 9. The main entrance will face Twin Oaks Middle School, with an outdoor seated area running along the back of the building and facing 160th Street.

To the left of the main entrance will be reception, a main office, office spaces and a work room for teachers.

In the back of the building toward the right will be the kitchen and cafeteria, which has a door to the outdoor seated area.

The middle of the building will feature a large commons area with tables and work stations. Around it will be several classrooms of various sizes, including a large one that can be split into two with a dividing wall.

At the back of the building will be a maker lab, with computers, learning stations and materials for students to work on projects.

Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2019, according to the district's construction timeline.