St. Charles School Board OKs $5.3 million in construction at Lincoln Elementary

After deciding last summer to repurpose several elementary schools to combat overcrowding, St. Charles School District 303 has been approving construction plans for this summer to have facilities ready for the fall semester.

Starting in the 2024-25 school year, Fox Ridge Early Childhood Center will become an elementary school, early childhood care will be moved to the Haines Center and Lincoln Elementary School will be repurposed to house transition programming and staff offices.

Considerable construction at multiple sites this summer is required to make the changes. Board members approved more than $7 million in construction contracts for the Haines Center and the purchase of a new $1.1 million facility in January and approved another $5.3 million in construction contracts for Lincoln Elementary at their Feb. 12 meeting.

The repurposing of the Lincoln facility to house transition programming will require a wide scope of construction work including roofing, flooring, plumbing, painting and electrical and mechanical work, as well as the abatement of asbestos and lead based paint.

Board members approved construction contracts for the renovation and abatement work at Lincoln Elementary in separate votes.

The construction contracts, which include work from 11 contractors, combine for an estimated total of $5,175,501 and were approved in a 5-1 vote. Board member Edward McNally voted no. Board member Joseph Lackner abstained from the vote.

A full breakdown of the scope of construction work can be reviewed here. The total cost will be paid to the school district’s construction manager Pepper Construction, which was contracted by the board last summer to oversee the full scope of the renovation.

The school district will pay $168,068 to Weaver Consultants Group for the abatement of asbestos and lead-based paint at Lincoln, which will be performed by Nationwide Environmental and Demolition LLC of Park Ridge.

The abatement work was approved in a unanimous vote without discussion. A full breakdown of the abatement costs can be reviewed here.

With board approval, Pepper Construction has begun procurement. The abatement process is expected to begin immediately following the end of the school year.

Projected timelines show construction work beginning in June. The entire project, including abatement and renovation, is expected to be substantially complete in October.