From the News-Sentinel:

FWCS approves projects
Board hired 5 firms for building improvements.

By Ashley Smith
asmith@news-sentinel.com
After approving its budget last month, the Fort Wayne Community Schools board assigned architects and engineers Monday night to take on many of the projects in that fiscal agenda.

Five Fort Wayne firms have been tapped for these projects, which include general building systems, traffic and roofs, and are estimated to cost about $9.2 million.

Moake Park Group Inc. was brought on to complete projects in Lakeside building systems replacement; Kelty Tappy Design Inc. will work on general building systems; SCO Engineering LLC on traffic, site and electrical; Martin Riley Inc. on roofs and accessibility for people with disabilities; and Primary Engineering Inc. on mechanical.

The estimated cost of the projects ranges from the Lakeside project at $4,150,000 to the accessibility for people with disabilities project at $320,000. Other projects are estimated to cost $1,700,000 for mechanical; $1,575,000 for the roofs; $530,000 for traffic and site; $480,000 for general building systems; and $476,000 for electrical.

According to board member Jon Olinger, the projects were already in the budget for this year.

In other items, the board approved the purchase of property near Irwin Elementary School, 3501 S. Anthony Blvd.

The land, at 3617 and 3621 S. Anthony Blvd., will provide more space for playing fields and parking lots or, in the future, offer the potential of a new building, according to the board. However, these additions still leave the school under the state acreage minimum recommendation, even with the additional space.

The first plot at 3617 S. Anthony was bought for $32,500 and the second for $43,750.

The board said it hopes to acquire more space in the future.