Ringgold awards contracts
NEW EAGLE – A company in Hermitage will be the general contractor for the new Ringgold Middle School, with the building’s groundbreaking ceremonies expected next month.
Ringgold School Board Wednesday awarded the contract to Hudson Group Inc. at a cost of $24.4 million. Contracts were also awarded to five other companies for the building project, including the installation of heating and air-conditioning, setting the total construction cost at $34.2 million.
“This is an exciting time for Ringgold,” board President William Stein said at the meeting Wednesday in the district’s administration building in New Eagle.
The construction of a new middle school has been debated for decades in the district, whose existing building in Finleyville has serious structural issues caused by pyrite in the soil that expands and lifts floors and cracks walls.
The new two-story brick building will be shaped like a rectangle and located at the high school campus off Route 136 in Carroll Township.
On March 8, Ringgold officials opened more than 30 bids from contractors who were interested in the project.
Ringgold Director Maureen Ott said Wednesday she was pleased to see so many contractors submit bids.
Lugaila Mechanical Inc. of Pittsburgh was awarded the HVAC contract for $4.6 million.
The plumbing work was awarded to Vrabel Plumbing Co. of Gibsonia at a cost of $1.5 million. A-1 Electrical Inc. of Venetia was awarded the electrical contract for $2.8 million.
Todd Devin Food Equipment Inc. of Yardley will equip the food service area at a cost of $481,800. Meanwhile, S.A. Comunale Co. Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., will build the fire protection system for $296,324.
The contracts were approved in a 6-2 vote, with directors Larry Mauro and Jim Dodd casting the dissenting votes.
“It’s done. We’re on our way,” Stein said.
He said the April 20 board meeting will be moved to the high school in order for the district to officially break ground on the middle school at 6 p.m.
The building is expected to open in August 2017.
In other business, high school band member Matthew Cannon approached the board about the need of new band uniforms, as the current ones are 10 years old and fraying.
“We’ll put this on a priority list,” Ringgold Superintendent Karen Polkabla said.