Trustees approved maximum prices totaling over $2 million for upgrades at the Coppell High School indoor athletic complex and Coppell Middle School North track. The projects are part of the district's $321 million bond package that outlines work through 2027.
The athletic facility updates are scheduled to begin this spring and Bond Project Manager Sid Grant presented details to the board at a Feb. 24 meeting.
Breaking it down
The bond package allocated over $2.4 million to replace the turf at the Coppell High School indoor athletic complex, but settled on a bid from Hellas Construction for $781,915, Grant said.
The 68,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the district’s 10,000-seat stadium contains an indoor practice football field, weight room, dressing and locker rooms for boys and girls, and coaches’ offices. The facility is used for football, baseball, soccer, pole vaulting, weight training, volleyball, marching band practice and more, according to district documents.
The Coppell Middle School North project includes replacing the turf field and resurfacing the track. The approved $1.2 million contract also came in lower than the $2.6 million allocated in the bond, Grant said. As part of an interlocal agreement, the city will reimburse the district for half the cost of the turf replacement for a total of $232,660.
“The track has already been built up once and is about four to five inches above the turf level,” Grant said. “So this will grind it down, lay concrete and then resurface it with track material so it will essentially be a brand new track.”
The bond funds have to be spent on projects outlined in their corresponding propositions. The Coppell High School turf replacements and Coppell Middle School North track and turf replacements are the final projects in Propositions C and D, respectively, meaning the savings on those projects, which were a result of overestimating the projected cost, won't be reallocated to additional projects, officials said. However, it does mean that the district would not have to sell any unused bond funds thereby limiting the amount of debt it needs to repay. The measure would need to be brought before the board for approval at a future date.
Also of note
In addition to the athletic projects, the board approved job order contracts for miscellaneous projects at campuses districtwide.
The work includes adding Americans Disabilities Act compliant sidewalks, interior and exterior concrete replacement, safety fencing additions, irrigation replacements and elementary walking track replacements, Grant said. The bond package allocated $3.2 million for these items, but officials identified around $750,000 worth of work to complete over the next year.
Looking ahead
District officials expect to complete the Coppell Middle School North project before July 29 and the Coppell High School project in early summer, Grant said.
