June 19, 2008

Tender Awarded and Construction Set to Begin on Chute Lake Elementary

KELOWNA, BC:  At a special Board meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the Board authorized the award of tender to Greyback Construction Ltd. for the completion of work on Chute Lake Elementary School (Project No. 115031).  This new school in the Okanagan Mission will accommodate 350 students plus 80 Kindergarten students. 

Five valid bids were received by the deadline on June 17, 2008 with Greyback Construction Ltd. winning the contract with a price of $9,180,340.00.  This figure was within the Ministry allocated budget for the project.

The tenders were reviewed by KMBR Architects Planners Inc. and they recommended the award of the contract to the lowest qualified bidder.

Chute Lake Elementary School will be one of the most environmentally-friendly schools in the District and the Province.  The ‘green’ initiatives include a geothermal heating and cooling system, low VOC paints, drought-resistant indigenous plants in the landscaping and a grass mixture containing native grass to reduce water use,  two-storey design to limit the ‘footprint’ and leave more space for playgrounds and sports fields, roof-top photovoltaic cells for energy production, a building orientation that maximizes daylight to reduce artificial lighting costs, natural ventilation, local building materials to reduce the amount of fuel used in transportation, low-flow toilets, and durable, natural materials such as Marmoleum.

The school is approaching the highest level of environmental certification: LEED gold.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a measurement of the environmental nature of a building. 

Site preparation (i.e., levelling, installation of geothermal and sewer pipes, etc.) began in March.  Construction is expected to begin very soon, with completion in time for classes in September 2009.

Approved by Superintendent, June 19, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

For comments, please contact:

Moyra Baxter, Chairperson of the Board (250) 767-6153

Mike Roberts, Superintendent of Schools (250) 860-8888

Judy Shoemaker, Planning Manager, 491-4004

For background information, please contact Lisa Harrison lharriso@sd23.bc.ca or 470-3284