Hoover school board to reconsider Hoover High theater Monday

The Hoover Board of Education on Monday likely will vote on whether to proceed with a construction contract for a new fine arts center at Hoover High School after tabling the matter in June, school board President Amy Tosney said.

The school board on June 27 tabled consideration of a construction contract after costs came in almost 80% higher than had been projected a year ago, and the board authorized Superintendent Dee Fowler and his staff to negotiate with the low bidder for the job to see if costs can be reduced.

When the school board hired Lathan Associates to design the new theater and Volkert Inc. to serve as program manager in August of last year, the estimated construction cost was $9.7 million and estimated total cost (with design fees) was $10.5 million.

But when construction bids for the 36,000-square-foot facility recently were submitted, they came in at $18.3 million from Taylor and Miree Construction and $17.4 million from Blalock Building Co.

The school board originally was scheduled to have a work session on July 12 to discuss how to proceed regarding the theater, prior to its regular July meeting, but two school board members came down with COVID-19, and the meeting had to be postponed, Tosney said.

Tosney called a special meeting on July 14 to allow remaining board members to go ahead and vote on personnel matters and school meal prices for the 2022-23 school year, but the theater discussion and other issues that had been scheduled to come up July 12 now will be considered in a special meeting at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1. The board will hold a work session at 11 a.m. Monday to discuss the theater and likely will vote on whether to proceed with the theater construction contract Monday as well, Tosney said.

Tosney said representatives from Lathan Associates (the architects), Volkert Inc. (the construction program manager) and Blalock Building Co. (the low bidder for the construction job) all are expected to be in attendance Monday to share some potential cuts that could be made in the project to save money.

She hopes they can trim at least $2 million from the $17.4 million low bid, but she wants to hear more from all the players and hear discussion from other board members, she said.

The board can’t change the construction contract too much because it would have to be rebid if too many changes are made, she said. Also, if the number of seats are cut back more, “what’s the point?” Tosney said.

Seating already had been reduced from 1,200 seats to 945, and Hoover is one of the largest high schools in the state, she said. She wants to make sure the theater meets the “Hoover standard” of excellence, she said.

She’s not sure where other board members stand right now, she said. “The whole thing’s a mess.”