3/13/2007
The Public Building Commission of Chicago today approved a $69 million contract for construction of the new Westinghouse High School.
The PBC approved the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, The George Sollitt/Oakley Construction Joint Venture, as the general contractor for the new school, which will replace the current Westinghouse High School. The PBC is providing oversight of the project on behalf of the Chicago Public Schools.
The new school will be directly east of the existing Westinghouse, 3301 W. Franklin Blvd. When the new school opens in the fall of 2009, the existing Westinghouse will be torn down for athletic fields.
The new two-story, 240,000 square-foot building will be built will to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Sollitt-Oakley has committed to at least 40 percent participation in the project by minority business enterprises and 4 percent participation by women business enterprises, officials said.
The project is part of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s $1 billion “Modern Schools Across Chicago” program, which will bring 24 new schools and three major high school renovations to the city over the next several years. The program is a partnership with the CPS, primarily funded by city Tax Increment Financing (TIF) dollars and CPS bonds.
The PBC manages construction and renovation projects for the Chicago Public Schools as well as the City of Chicago and its other sister agencies. Mayor Daley serves as the PBC’s chairman.
Other actions taken Tuesday by the PBC board are listed on the PBC’s Web site at www.pbcchicago.com.
