The Millcreek school board is weighing how much to spend on design

The Millcreek School Board will consider a scaled-down design contract for Gus Anderson Field improvements on Monday.

School leaders voted earlier this week against approving CHA Consulting to design improvements requested by the school district, including new home and visitor bleachers, an eight-lane track, new throwing areas and ancillary buildings for ticketing, concessions and restrooms. The work also includes relocating the site.

The total construction cost for the project is estimated at $17 million. The plan could be adjusted to reduce construction costs to $15 million, the original cost sought by school leaders.

The school district has $10 million for the work and would need to find additional money for the project.

CHA will present two new options, a $10 million project and a $12.5 million project, to school leaders on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Millcreek Education Center

Complete project design: advantages and disadvantages

There is no guarantee the district can come up with the additional money needed to finance the entire $15 or $17 million project, and the district may save money – an estimated $400,000 – on the design costs for one smaller project, Mike Lindner, school board finance chairman, said at the Nov. 25 board meeting.

CHA’s cost to design the project as originally proposed is $1,185,000.

“We will spend money on a design that may not get built. And if the money becomes available, those plans may no longer be valid,” Lindner said.

The prudent approach would be to fund the design of a $10 million project and pay for additional design work for further improvements as funds become available, Lindner said.

The $400,000 saved by planning a smaller project could be used for other district needs, said Superintendent Wade Brink. “That’s $400,000 we can spend elsewhere.”

Paying for two phases of design work would likely be more expensive than paying for a single design for the entire project, and approval of one of the designs does not oblige the district to implement all of the proposed improvements, according to Aaron O’Toole, the district’s chief financial officer officer said to the principals.

The district could seek construction bids for a “simple” project as well as “additional” bids for additional work that could be done under the funding approvals, O’Toole said. “We would try to provide as many options as possible.”

Basic work includes drainage, field and grandstand improvements.

“We need to replace the stands; they fail inspections. We need to replace the turf field; it tears open. We have a drainage problem,” O’Toole said.

Shirley Winschel was among school principals who voted Monday to fund the design of the entire $15 million to $17 million project.

“When you’re thinking about a project as big as this, it’s smart to invest in planning. The planning phase is so important. If you cut corners on that, you’re going to pay the price for a long time,” Winschel said.

It took years for the district to improve the David P. Hanlon Community Sports Complex in McDowell, said Superintendent Jason Dean, who supported design approval for the entire project at Gus Anderson Field.

“If you always sit back and say, ‘I’ll never make a big swing,’ then you’re stuck in the mud,” Dean said.

The vote

A motion authorizing CHA to design the entire $15 or $17 million project failed with a 4-4 vote from the school board.

Dean, Shirley Winschel, Gary Winschel and Janis Filbeck voted in favor of the motion.

Lindner, Brink, Sue Ellen Pasquale and Sallie Newsham voted against.

Principal Mike Kobylka was absent.

What’s next?

The district needs to consider creating a foundation to raise money for facility improvements and maintenance, including athletic facilities, O’Toole said.

Community meeting in June: The community shares great wishes for McDowell’s Gus Anderson Field

Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: The Millcreek school board disagrees over the scope of the Anderson Field design plan