LCHS gym project costs rise

Code changes and unexpected obstacles during the renovation of the Lenoir City High School gymnasium have led to $204,990 in extra costs.

“In my over 40 years of practice, I don’t think I’ve ever had a renovation project that presented as many surprises ... as this high school gym project,” Brian McDonald, president of Architects Weeks Ambrose McDonald, Inc said.

Reviews by the state fire marshal’s office and local code officials led to a number of updates after the bids were closed.

The fire marshal wanted partitions at the east and west lobbies on the second floor changed from non-rated to smoke rated with an additional two partitions changed from non-rated to one-hour rated, which led to a change in doors and three new fire dampers to be added to the HVAC duct system.

Other additions included fire caulking through the rated partitions, length of wiring and conduit for the roof top units and demolition costs.

McDonald noted that with the amount of construction going on locally, Rondel Branam, Lenoir City building inspector and codes official, hired a Knox County codes official to review all documents.

“About two-thirds of this cost proposal is code related,” McDonald said. “About a third is a result of discoveries that we ran across, and we were constantly running into it.”

He said Lenoir City Schools also requested a few changes but none of those changes added expenses to the project.

Discoveries that need to be repaired including four new aluminum-framed windows with insulation in the second-level classroom and replacing the existing main sanitary line on the upper level. The line was clogged and did not have proper slope.

McDonald said construction crews were 95% done with demolition and don’t expect more problems. He said the project should be completed in the summer.

Jeanne Barker, director of schools, said the changes are things you find out when you start digging and going beneath what can be seen with the naked eye.

“We all know that construction is volatile right now,” Barker said. “You heard our architect say that even the fire marshal has to farm out some of their decisions right now because there’s so much work they’re having in all of East Tennessee. So it’s costing more, but I think in the end — No. 1 we’re solvent. We have the money and fund balance so we’re not going to go over what is fiscally responsible.

“In the end, we’re going to have a facility that the community will be proud of,” she added.

During the Dec. 15 meeting, Lenoir City Board of Education approved the related project change requests of $46,513, $128,428 and $30,049. The BOE also approved the transfer of $204,990 from reserves to the capital projects fund.

In an unrelated decision, the BOE approved the purchase of bleachers from Sightlines Athletic Facilities for the LCHS baseball stadium for a price not to exceed $91,698.

The next BOE meeting is 4 p.m. Jan. 12 in room 304 at 200 East Broadway in downtown Lenoir City.