BOE approves contracts for Berry Middle, Gresham Elementary construction

Construction and renovation at Vestavia Hills' two newest school campuses could begin within a month, after the Board of Education approved contracts for both projects at its June 14 meeting.

The BOE has accepted a $21,614,900 contract with Blalock Building Company for interior and exterior renovations to the Berry High School campus, to be used as a middle school. This work includes HVAC, plumbing and electrical work; new finishes and flooring inside the school; upgrades to the entrance to match other Vestavia schools; and new parking and a carpool loop.

Superintendent Todd Freeman said the school system had budgeted $22 million for the project and had three bidders to choose from. Vestavia Hills City Schools also redesigned some parts of the work at Berry recently, bringing down the cost, Freeman said.

“I felt like our numbers came in well,” he said.

The BOE also voted to approve a contract with Nearen Construction for an addition at Gresham Elementary, at a cost of $5,929,000. Nearen will build a 14-classroom addition, including a multipurpose room that can be converted into multiple classrooms, at Gresham.

Freeman said the budget for the project was $6 million. This is the second time the project was put out for bid. It attracted four contractors to put in bids, while the first time only saw two bidders, and Nearen's bid was $1.3 million less than the first bid's results.

Depending on state approvals, work at both campuses could begin within a month. Each has a 12-month construction timeline, and all work must be complete before school starts in August 2019 and the rezoning takes effect.