General Brown nearing completion of recent capital projects

DEXTER — Capital construction projects at General Brown Central School District are nearly complete, except for a few details to be finished this summer.

Gary C. Grimm, transportation supervisor and operations manager, said much of the district’s $13.3 million, three-phase capital project is completed, and the district’s $600,000 bus garage fuel tank replacement project is fully finished.

The first two phases involved renovations at the district’s two elementary schools and the junior-senior high school. Mr. Grimm said the district was able to go forward with phase three because phases one and two came in under budget. Phase three’s main component is the replacement of the junior-senior high school auditorium’s 510 seats and air-conditioning unit, the first major renovation to that space in 55 years.

“The visible part is done; the seats are the most obvious, but a lot of the stuff is up in the ceiling,” Mr. Grimm said. “They’re still working on ductwork. They painted the floor during Christmas break and the ceiling.”

General construction is being completed by Continental Construction, Gouverneur, for $337,131, and the $484,400 mechanical contract was awarded to Burns Bros., Potsdam. The $27,217 plumbing contract was awarded to Skelly Contractors, Ogdensburg, and the $93,080 electrical contract was awarded to S&L Electric, Watertown. The $419,285 site work contract was awarded to Barrett Paving Materials, Watertown. The project’s architectural and engineering firm is Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown.

The auditorium now has 516 seats, six wheelchair positions and a lift, which makes the auditorium more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Grimm said there is a rear entrance to the stage, but that is accessible by going outside of the auditorium and walking down the hallway to the back entrance.

Much of the behind-the-scenes work will be completed over the next several months, including hooking the auditorium up to the energy-management system and rewiring light switches so there are switches at both the front and back entrances of the auditorium. Mr. Grimm said there will be some window replacement in the junior-senior high school library and science wing this summer.

The project’s paving component also will be done over the summer, to minimize interference with bus traffic. Only portions of all three district parking lots/driveways will be done.

“At Dexter, there’s been so many things done there, like cuts and then patching and regular wear and tear,” Mr. Grimm said. “The construction trucks we’ve had come in and out don’t help. It’s so expensive — you can’t do it all at once.”

Business Administrator Michele A. Traynor said the district is on target spending-wise for phase three, and Mr. Grimm said as long as that remains consistent, the district may be able to afford to put carpet in the auditorium instead of keeping tile.

He said General Brown doesn’t have a wish list of future projects since all its wishes have come true through capital construction projects over the past few years. The story may be different in 2015, he said, when the next buildings survey is scheduled to be conducted. That is a requirement set by the state.

Mr. Grimm said there are only a few loose ends from phase two, but by the start of the 2012-13 school year, all capital projects are expected to be completed.