QSD upgrades

QUINCY — A project to upgrade the heating-cooling systems at Pioneer and Mountain View elementary schools should go out for bid in late February or early March. It’s one of two remodeling projects planned by the district with proceeds from the sale of 155 acres south of town. The second project will remodel a district-owned building into a new district office.

Quincy School Board members approved a proposal from the Spokane architectural firm NAC for design services for the heating-cooling project at the regular board meeting Tuesday. Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman said after the meeting the total project cost will be about $1.1 million. The NAC contract, which is included in the total cost, is about $109,000.

The work is scheduled for the late spring and summer, with a substantial completion date of September 2023. The contract stipulates that heating systems will be working in the fall, if they are needed before the full scope of work is completed.

The heating system boilers and pumps in both buildings will be replaced and the system controls will be upgraded, which will in turn require improvements to the electrical systems. The air conditioning system at Monument Elementary will be upgraded also.

District officials currently are advertising for bids to remodel a district-owned building at 404 First Ave. SW into the new QSD office. In a Wednesday interview, Bergman estimated the cost of remodeling would be $460,000 to $560,000.

“We are converting our old High Tech High building into our district office,” Bergman said.

High Tech High, now Quincy Innovation Academy, moved to a former private school facility on 13th Avenue SW purchased by the district in 2020.

Currently, the main district office is at 119 J. St SW, but some departments are housed elsewhere because, Bergman said, it’s too small.

“We’re currently operating out of three buildings,” he said, a reflection of growth in the district.

“We have 3,100 students right now, and we’re expecting to grow,” he said.

Remodeling options for the First Street building are limited, he said; the entrance will be remodeled and the building will get new carpet and paint.

“We’re building six offices and two conference rooms,” Bergman said.

“Our long-term goal is to build a new district office,” he said. “This is a temporary solution until that time is right.”

Remodeling will begin this summer, he said, with completion projected for the fall.

“Early fall, meaning September, or late fall, meaning November,” Bergman said.

The projects are being paid for through the sale of the property just south of the existing Quincy city limits; school board members approved the sale in December, with a closing date of Jan. 31. The land was purchased by the Port of Quincy for $2.2 million.

Bergman said the property was purchased in 2006 as the potential site for a new Quincy High School. District officials bought land north of town at the same time.

In 2006 board members and administrators weren’t sure where Quincy would grow, so they bought property at both ends of town, Bergman said. As things turned out more housing was developed on the north side of town, so the new high school was located there and it opened in 2019.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.