Public Building Commission Board Authorizes PBC To Undertake Four School Projects

The Board of Commissioners of the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) today authorized the PBC undertakeconstruction and renovation projects for four Chicago Public Schools, and approved the appointment of three architecture firms for the work.

“School modernization is a top priority of my administration,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “As our other school improvement projects have done, these will help provide our students with the facilities they need to achieve and succeed.”

PBC Executive Director Erin Lavin Cabonargi said, “We are pleased to be managing these projects. The PBC’s track record of delivering CPS projects on-time and on-budget shows that the PBC is managing this work efficiently and in the public interest. Our priority is making sure that the projects are completed in a timely manner so the students at these schools can benefit from the improvements.”

The PBC board authorized the PBC to undertake the following projects:

• Planning, design and construction of the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School Annex located at 1034 North Wells Street
• Planning, design and construction of the Wildwood World Magnet School Annex Project located at 6950 North Hiawatha Avenue
• Planning, design and construction of the Oriole Park Elementary School Annex Project located at 5424 North Oketo Avenue
• Design and construction of a new Southeast Area Elementary School at 10348-10448 South Indianapolis Blvd.
  

The architecture firms approved by the board are:

• Koo and Associates as the Architect of Record for the Walton Payton College Prep Annex Project
• Ilekis Associates as the Architect of Record for the Wildwood World Magnet School Annex Project
• Wallin Gomez Architects LTD. as the Architect of Record for the Oriole Park Elementary School Annex Project.
  

“These architecture firms bring a range of great talent and vision to these projects and have committed to creating teams comprised of minority and women owned businesses (M/WBE) that will help the PBC meet or exceed the PBC’s goals of 24 percent MBE and 4 percent WBE participation,” Lavin Cabonargi said.

The PBC is working closely with CPS to finalize the scope of work at the schools. Some of the proposed work includes:

Payton:
An annex will provide additional classrooms that will add 300 to 400 new seats at the selective enrollment high school where 98 percent of the students go to college. It is estimated that construction will start in summer 2014 and will be completed in December 2015. The estimated project budget is $17 million, with funding coming from TIF funds.

Wildwood:
An annex at Wildwood will address overcrowding at the school, which is currently operating at 175% capacity. Wildwood’s current building is designed for 240 students and its enrollment today is 423 students. The estimated project budget is $15 million and will be paid for with state funds. The State of Illinois released additional state infrastructure funds in August 2013, approximately $17 million of which must be used to address overcrowding.  It is estimated that construction on the new annex will start in summer 2014 and be completed in fall 2015.

Oriole Park:
An annex at Oriole Park will comprise a 2 to 3 story building with new classrooms and other amenities.
Renovation work will include removal of modular units at the school, creation of new classrooms in the existing building and mechanical and system upgrades. The estimated project budget is $20 million. It is estimated that construction will begin summer 2014 and be completed in fall 2015.

Southeast Area Elementary:
A new pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school for 1,200 students that will also include a library, resource center, gymnasium and other amenities. The estimated budget for this project is $35 million and the school is expected to be completed in the summer of 2016.

About PBC:
The Public Building Commission of Chicago manages construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and its sister agencies. Mayor Rahm Emanuel serves as the PBC’s chairman. Erin Lavin Cabonargi serves as the Executive Director of the PBC.  Additional information about the PBC and its projects can be found at www.pbcchicago.com.  You can also follow the Public Building Commission of Chicago on Twitter: @PBCChi and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBCChi