A Houston company was hired Tuesday as construction manager for a $6 million Houston School District plan to build a new high school gymnasium and make improvements on campus.
Gentry Construction Co. Inc., which for generations has constructed large commercial projects throughout south-central and southwest Missouri, was awarded the job. Paragon Architecture of Springfield is the architect.
Voters in April overwhelmingly approved a $6 million plan that did not require a tax increase and will be completed in two phases to improve security, renovate current facilities and build the new gym on campus that will seat 1,650 with an additional 500 seats to be added by another bond issue in 4-5 years. The hiring of a construction manager rather than a general contractor is a fairly new process under state statute. The Houston board of education first sought proposals, which drew five expressions of interest before narrowing the field. Interviews were conducted Tuesday night with principals of the firms, Branco Enterprises Inc, DeWitt & Associates Inc., both of Springfield; and Gentry Construction Co. Inc.
Construction, including the new gymnasium, would bridge the distance between the middle school building and current gym that was built in 1964. Phase one would bring the buildings closer together and Phase two would complete it.
Under the process, Gentry Construction Co. will soon begin working with the school board, superintendent Allen Moss and the architectural firm to develop final plans with estimates for the project. The advance planning should reduce any changes required after the project starts, Moss told the school board recently.
Moss said Wednesday that the board of education is planning additional meetings to work on the project. The first one is tentatively planned for the week of Oct. 15 to review the design and detailed estimate.
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