While the anticipated ground breaking is still months away, Dowagiac Union Schools leaders have taken the next crucial step in the planned renovations to Union High School.

Union Schools Superintendent Paul Hartsig announced that the district had put the estimated $16 million high school construction project out for bidding last week, during Monday’s meeting of the Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education. Prospective contractors are required to submit proposals for the project by Feb. 7, and the school board could decide the winning contract as soon as its next meeting on Feb. 13, Hartsig said.

For more than a year, architects and construction managers working with the district on the renovations developed plans for the high school, which will be funded by the pair of school bonds passed by voters in November 2015.

The project is a complete interior overhaul of Union High School, focused on increasing the safety and security of the structure as well as modernizing the school learning environment.

“We took our time to get everything we wanted into the bids, to make sure the designs matched what our visioning committee wanted,” he said. “It took some time, but we wanted to do it right because we only got one chance. It is a big deal for us, our
community and our students.”

New heating and cooling systems will also be installed as part of construction, as well as a new competition gym on the building’s northeast side, designed to seat around 1,300 people.

Since showcasing the final designs to the public last month, the administration and its partners have made some minor adjustments to the plans before sending the project out for bid.

The superintendent is optimistic about the number of bids the project will receive, as the beginning of the year is typically a good time to solicit contractors, he said. Representatives with the district have also advertised the project to construction firms for several weeks before hand, Hartsig said.

Following the unsealing of bids on Feb. 7, the district will interview the top bidders on Feb. 8 through 10.

Assuming the board of education selects the winning contractor next month, ground breaking could occur as soon as May for the competition gym, while renovations to the high school interior could begin as soon as the spring semester ends in June, Hartsig said. The project is expected to take between 20 to 21 months to complete, he said.

“I am excited,” Hartsig said about the project. “I think it will move the high school into the modern era of education, where there is a greater focus on collaboration, technology and flexibility for students. I have kids coming through the high school, so I want the best for them as well as for all our district’s children.”

The administration also hopes to break ground on the construction of new bleachers at Chris Taylor Alumni Field — another part of the bond project — in the summer.

In the meantime, design work will continue on the renovations to the district’s elementary schools. At the moment, architects are taking suggestions from the building staff on possible design elements, similar to the process of the high school, Hartsig said.

“We do not want to rush those plans, either,” Hartsig said. “It took us a year to do the high school and gym, and we do not want to give the elementary buildings any less consideration.”