A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of almost $32 million has been approved to construct the new athletic complex and begin preparations for the new Consumer, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) building at Fannin County High School (FCHS).
School board members gave their unanimous approval to a $31,946,469 guarantee presented by school system Senior Chief Operations Officer Darren Danner.
The work was put out for bid by Bowen & Watson, the school system’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) for the project.
Danner presented the GMP bid Thursday, July 11, as he went over a presentation showing construction plans.
The complex, which sits on almost 26 acres behind FCHS, includes a multi purpose annex building that will house weightlifting, wrestling and anything the high school needs.
A hitting facility will accommodate softball, baseball, tennis – any sport that involves hitting.
New baseball and softball fields, a press box, tennis courts, concession stands, restrooms and parking are all included.
A new road will provide access all the way around the property.
Dirt moving for the CTAE building and other future development is included in the GMP.
The building is to be located behind the current CTAE building. Danner said he has already been in contact with Breaux & Associates Architects to begin drawing out the building.
With board GMP approval came the announcement that dirt moving equipment should be on site within the next two weeks.
The athletic complex will use the rest of the funds from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 5, and some of the early funds from SPLOST 6, for which collections have not begun, Danner said.
School system Superintendent Shannon Dillard pointed out that financing the project has all been accomplished without compromising funds for either personnel or instruction.