The Great Falls Public Schools board voted unanimously during their Oct. 14 meeting to allow staff to put a renovation project out for bid.
The project will renovate the former Great Falls High shop area that is currently vacant and being used for storage into a district-wide innovation learning center, allowing for enhanced learning opportunities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Shop classes are being taught in the more recently constructed portion of GFH.
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Brian Patrick, GFPS business operations manager, told the board that the project will be funded with the Montana State Innovative Tax Credit contributions the district received.
The plan for those funds, including the shop renovation, were reviewed and approved by the board in September.
GPD, the district’s approved indefinite demand indefinite quality consultant is providing design and construction administration services for the new HVAC systems in the old shop building at GFH, according to the district.
Patrick told the board that new ventilation systems will be provided in the old wood, metal and auto shop areas, either by upgrading the existing systems or installing new systems as required.
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The heating systems will also be upgraded, using existing boilers and pumps, and replacing old, existing piping and heaters to the greatest extent possible, Patrick said.
In the upstairs classrooms, existing unit ventilators will be replaced with new ventilators that also have integral air conditioning, according to the district.
The project includes new LED lighting in the shop spaces to replace obsolete light fixtures, and dimming and multiple lighting zones will be added.
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Project design is expected to be completed by the spring and the project will then go out for bid, Patrick said.
Construction could begin as soon as school is out next summer depending on equipment delivery and will likely continue as school resumes in the fall of 2025, he said.
The current budget estimate is $500,000 but could change as the design is finalized, Patrick said.
“It’s a pretty big project,” he told the board.