Construction will begin soon on a new athletic addition, district warehouse, and other improvements on the campus of Galesburg Junior Senior High School.
The board of education on Monday approved the low bid of $12.2 million from Russell Construction for what the district is calling the northside project.
In all, the northside project will cost around $15.6 million, including soft costs such as design fees.
Jennifer Hamm, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, said there will be no bonding or short-term debt for the project. The district is using reserves and revenue from a 1-cent sales tax to cover costs.
“We were able to put together a funding plan that allows us to prevent any financing on this project, that we will be able to cash-flow it over the next two fiscal years,” Hamm said. “We are possibly going to speak to F&M Bank about a line of credit, just because of cash flow and timing of tax receipts and when revenues come in from 1-cent sales tax, there may be a slight overlap.”
The northside project follows other significant renovations as part of the facilities plan, including a $42 million renovation of GJHS. Those projects were also funded in part with revenues from the 1-cent sales tax.
Knox County voters approved the 1-cent sales tax in 2010 for school improvements. In a recent month, revenues were more than $30,000 for the district, according to Superintendent John Asplund.
“Those funds can only be used for facilities,” Asplund said. “Everybody knows we’ve already fixed up buildings. We’re going to have millions of dollars coming into this fund with really not a lot of place to put that money. So we felt it was much better to just commit it to this. We don’t have to borrow money. That’s a good thing.”
The northside project includes a now 26,000 square foot training and competition facility attached to Wicall Gymnasium to be used for wrestling, softball, baseball, and weight lifting – and new restrooms, concessions, and air conditioning at Wicall.
“Other sports will be taking advantage of that facility but that was the primary design,” said Hamm.
The northside project also includes new turf for varsity softball and baseball fields and additional parking in multiple locations north of GJHS.
In addition, the district plans to tear down the former Gale and Rose Hoben Welch schools north of GHJS, following asbestos abatement.
At the site of Rose Hoben Welch, the district will build a 25,000 square foot warehouse and loading dock, replacing the warehouse at Hawthorne Center that has been in use since the 1980s.
Hamm said the estimated completion date of the northside project is November 2025.
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