By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Everything is on track for the USD 428 Great Bend Support Facility located on east 10th Street. Todd Dumler, project manager for McCownGordon Construction, updated the board of education on the $4.82 million renovation at Monday's meeting. Dumler said things are actually moving faster than planned with work now expected to begin in November.
"One of the things we said we would do is look and see if there was an opportunity to start some of the work early to get some of those phases turned over a little bit early," he said. "It looks like we are going to be able to do that."
The building, once complete, will house the district's food services and maintenance departments. Renovations were expected to begin in January 2023 with a finish date in May. Work in the kitchen remains a priority to minimize disruptions with the summer lunch program, but the earlier start date will also allow for some exterior work to be completed.
"With us mobilizing here in early November, we're looking to get some of those exterior scopes of work completed before it gets really cold in January and February," Dumler said. "If we can get some of those things done, it's going to be an overall benefit to the project and make it less stressful from my chair."
Dumler said weather-proofing the roof and completing some of the window cut-ins will be among the first project completed when renovations begin in November.
The building will feature new and separate HVAC systems for the kitchen and maintenance areas. Kitchen equipment will be transferred from the current facility on Broadway to the new building, which will also feature several new pieces of kitchen equipment.