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Belding Area Schools Board of Education Treasurer Candy Straubel-Sower, left, asks a question about construction bids for projects related to the school district’s $21.5 million bond project during Monday’s meeting as Secretary Doug Lamborne listens. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
BELDING — In continuing to improve aging infrastructure throughout the grounds of Belding Area Schools, district leaders have given the go-ahead for the next phases of bond project improvements.
During Monday’s Board of Education meeting, members of the board voted unanimously (with Vice President Shannon Hummel and trustees Keven Krieger and Jennifer Lien absent) to approve bids for the next phase of the $21.5 million bond project approved by voters in 2022.
According to Superintendent Brent Noskey, the next phase of work will be centered around the district’s athletic facilities, specifically the athletic field house containing locker rooms, the adjoining parking lot, the outdoor track and track press box.
“We’re coming before the board tonight with our bid package for the middle school, bus garage and field house/track to be done over the summer, with some of the work stretching into the fall and winter,” he said.
Alicia Pizano, a project manager with Triangle Associates of Grand Rapids, broke down the bids for the board, which in total came to $1,696,925.
According to Pizano, the portion of construction involving the field house, track and press box will cost $1,457,956, which falls $231,469 under budget, while the work at the bus garage will come in at $238,969, which fell $258,628 under budget.
Pizano said the majority of work for the bus garage will feature the demolition and installation of new windows and heating units, along with additional mechanical and electrical work, including reworking electrical for new bus cord reel stations and unit heaters.
Work on the field house building, which contains locker rooms for athletics and a kitchen for concessions, will be more significant, with that structure having been constructed in 1952.
Flooring throughout the facility will be replaced, along with food service equipment, including sinks, freezer, work tables, shelving, hot food cabinets, refrigerator, etc.
Belding Area Schools Superintendent Brent Noskey, left, provides details on construction bids for projects related to the school district’s $21.5 million bond project during Monday’s meeting of the school board as Board President Terry Boni listens. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
The heating and cooling units will also be replaced, with existing boilers, pumps, exhaust fans and kitchen diffusers to be replaced with new units.
Additionally, the high school track will be resurfaced and the track press box will be demolished and replaced with a new, more modern structure.
“We are stripping the existing track and installing new surfacing,” Pizano said.
The only question coming from the board focused on the installation of carpet throughout the field house building, including in the locker rooms.
“That’s where the football players are going to be at, are we talking literal carpet?” Treasurer Candy Straubel-Sower asked.
Director of Transportation and Operations Jamie Segorski said the carpet is specifically designed with athletes in mind.
“It’s a rubber-back carpeting and it helps with the moisture and condensation and is made for the area,” he said. “The athletes have hard-bottom shoes on, so a hard surface would make it slippery.”
“That can stay clean? Doesn’t it stink?” Straubel-Sower asked. “I’m just thinking about the conditions for the students.”
“It does smell bad, but we are replacing the air exchanger and we’re going to create better ventilation to help with the condensation and make sure everything moves out,” Segorski answered.
