SMHS cafeteria project to begin this summer

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Jackson County commissioners awarded a $1.2 million contract to Western Builders of Dillsboro to construct a new cafeteria and kitchen in the parking lot adjacent to the existing dining room at Smoky Mountain High School. Western Builders' bid included the cost of an a la carte serving area and windows to match those used recently in other renovation projects at the school.

The remainder of the multi-prime bids were awarded as follows: Mountain Plumbing and Mechanical was awarded the plumbing contract with a bid of $134,900; Haynes Heating and Cooling won with a $219,805 bid; and Asheville Maintenance and Construction bid $178,785 to do the electrical work.

Total cost of the project - including design fee, contingency and furnishings - is $2,015,999. That figure is about $15,000 over what was set aside for the project, but county finance officer Darlene Fox said the money was available in the school project fund.

Commissioners were forced to wade through a confusing situation with regard to the bids last Thursday (June 6) when architect John Cort announced a $38,000 error on the part of Brevard Electric had affected the single-prime bids submitted by four construction companies.

Though Western Builders was the single-prime low bidder at $1.7 million, company officials and those from the three consecutive low bidders, which all used Brevard's bid, would have had the option to withdraw their bids based on Brevard's mistake, Cort said. For that reason, Cort recommended commissioners accept the multi-prime bids.

The new cafeteria is the last piece of Smoky Mountain High's Phase I renovation, a $6.5 million project aimed at modernizing the 40-year-old facility. County commissioners borrowed funds in 1999 for improvements at the high school and other capital projects.

Construction of the new cafeteria is expected to take about a year, allowing for occupancy in fall 2003. The facility has been designed on the same level as the gymnasium in order to allow handicap access from the existing lobby area to the gym.

In addition to giving their final approval to the cafeteria project, commissioners took the first step toward starting Phase II when they agreed that Cort Architectural Group should proceed with facade improvement plans at the high school. Phase II calls for a suite of administrative offices to be built in the cafeteria space being vacated; once that space is freed up, student guidance services are slated to move into the current administration area.

In addition to these changes, school leaders have identified several other projects they hope to see in Phase II, including additional science laboratory space, a new technology center and further upgrades to the campus's A Building.

Funding for Phase II has not been identified, Fox said.

Back to Archive: 06/13/02.