More funds going to Linderman renovation

Additional money is being allotted to the Linderman Education Center renovation project.

Approximately $5.8 million is now allocated to the project. This follows a recent Kalispell Public School Board decision to sell the remaining $2.1 million of $28.8 million in general obligation bonds for improving facilities in the high school district.

Aiding in the board’s unanimous decision was that the general contractor bid to demolish and expand Flathead High School. The bid came in under initial estimates and was approved earlier this month.

Initially during pre-bond planning the district had estimated spending $3.4 million to renovate the building. When architects and contractors came on board and figured actual construction costs it became evident that infrastructure priorities such as mechanical, electrical and plumbing were eating up the budget.

Erick Enz of Axiom Builds Group, who serves as the school district’s representative, said there wasn’t much funding left in the initial budget estimate to make visible renovations.

Factoring into costs was that the Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative, which was housed at Linderman, moved out of the building recently, and the design team had to rethink the layout in that area.

The original part of Linderman was completed 1939. A second-story addition was built onto the north wing in 1959. Around this time, a church building — originally constructed in 1926 — was purchased, remodeled and tied into Linderman.

Linderman offers alternative high school education programs for students who are enrolled in Flathead and Glacier high schools.

The increased funding will also allow the basement level to be remodeled into usable space and be used to install an elevator to provide wheelchair accessibility throughout the three levels of the building.

Plans also include the addition of a commons, refurbishing classrooms and the gym, parking lot and sidewalk improvements and addressing deferred maintenance such as roof and fire alarm replacement.

After design is completed the next step is establishing a construction timeline.

The final project that is part of the high school district bond issue is the H.E. Vocational Agriculture Center, which is in the design phase.

Enz said the idea for the vo-ag renovation and expansion is to bid out standalone projects next winter, which may increase participation in the bidding process and result in more competitive pricing.

Projects that have been outlined as standalone include the veterinary science building, equipment storage building, greenhouse, relocation of the septic system, utility and site work.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.