$90 Million High School Renovation Plan Presented to School Board

Members of the Bensalem School Board had a moment of sticker shock Wednesday evening after representatives from EI Associates and Dewey Engineering presented a renovation plan for the high school with an estimated cost of $90 million.

“I don’t know about the other board members, but I’m a little befuddled,” school board President Ralph Douglass said.

The school board agreed a few months ago to cap the bond issue at $78 million to fund the project. The proposal for just renovating the existing property, including site work, contingency and soft costs such as permits and fees, came in at an estimate of $77.6 million.

Those renovations would reconfigure Bensalem High School into an academy structure, separating classrooms by subject matter. According to the presentation, there would be an academy just for the ninth graders, one for business and international studies, visual and performing arts, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M.). The entranceway would be upgraded with more security, and the three cafeterias would be consolidated into one preparation and service area, which would replace the school's current swimming pool.

In total, the renovation of 420,000 existing square feet would cost an average of $140 per square foot. The targeted areas were broken up into separate levels, depending on the severity of work needed. The designs also incorporate more efficient utility systems. The district was awarded a $2 million Alternative and Clean Energy Grant that will help the school upgrade from a LEED Silver to Gold designation.

The estimated cost increases after factoring in plans for new construction. In the proposal, a administrative common area would be constructed for each academy, housing offices and meeting rooms, totaling 25,000 extra square feet. The engineering team also sketched out the new 22,800 square-foot natatorium, which would be located behind the gymnasium and have its own separate entrance.

The total cost of the new buildings was estimated at $12 million, approximately $6 million each, or $200 per square foot.

As stressed by EI Associates Senior Vice President Mark Barnhardt, Wednesday's presentation was just a preliminary step to give the district an idea of where the designs were going. After some back and forth between the school board, it was implied that the separate administrative common rooms may be luxuries that simply cannot be employed. Barnhardt agreed to have his team look at ways to fold in the office space in to the existing renovation plans.

According to the projected schedule, the request for bidding on the project will start in March 2014, with construction beginning in June 2014 and ending in November 2016.