OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Business Administrator John Forbes discussed the Capital Project bids at a recent Fredonia Board of Education meeting.

The Fredonia Central School District is one step closer to making a series of critical maintenance improvements to the district’s facilities.

The Board of Education recently approved the bids for Phase I of the district’s Capital Improvement Project, approved by voters in December of 2024. In total, the bids amounted to $3,326,443.62 for Phase 1 of the project.

Business Administrator John Forbes explained that while the bids came in slightly higher than the district anticipated, the funds allocated to the contingency portion of the project will cover the overages.

Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance will handle the roofing improvements at a cost of $1,316,030, with an additional $11,470.10 for skylight replacement at the Wheelock campus.

Parkitects will handle the playground upgrades totaling $1,110,061.52. That figure includes equipment, safety surfacing, and installation costs.

Mollenberg Betz will handle the HVAC upgrades at a cost of $327,500. Rodriguez Construction handles the general trades at $234,000. Athletic track resurfacing will be handled by Rekortan for $204,170.

BECC Electric will do the electrical upgrades at $73,879. GP Flooring will do the flooring improvements at a cost of $40,933.

Whitestone Associates will do special inspections at a cost of $3,500. Stohl Environmental will provide air monitoring services for $2,600. M/E Engineering will provide commissioning services for $2,300.

The Capital Improvement Project in its entirety includes $22.1 million of maintenance work, which was titled Proposition No. 1: Warm, Safe, and Dry in the 2024 Capital Project Vote. District voters rejected Propositions 2 and 3 for music and athletic department needs which would have resulted in a 10% tax increase, rather than the 1.9% tax increase that stemmed from Proposition 1.

The project is overseen by architects from Young and Wright, alongside Buffalo Construction Consultants. Superintendent Dr. Brad Zilliox said, “Young and Wright continue to be a great partner. Buffalo Construction continues to be a great partner. … They really have provided some great guidance for us.”

The district is still awaiting final approval of the project from the State Education Department in order to schedule the construction.