May 23 , 2025 Bond Update

Partner Spotlight: AVB Construction Group

As we advance with our bond-funded projects, we're proud to collaborate with AVB Construction Group as our construction managers. Established in 1981 by Joe Gesmundo and Daryl Rynd, AVB has been instrumental in shaping Southwest Michigan's landscape through their commitment to building exceptional homes, commercial spaces, and communities.

AVB's portfolio includes notable projects such as the Stryker Corporation World Headquarters, Ascension Borgess Surgery Expansion, and the LEED Gold-certified 400 Rose apartments in downtown Kalamazoo . Their expertise spans various sectors, including educational facilities like Portage Public Schools, showcasing their versatility and dedication to quality construction. They also were involved in the last construction bond at Mattawan.

In their role as our construction managers, AVB brings a comprehensive approach that encompasses pre-construction planning, active construction oversight, and post-construction support. Their services include accurate project estimating, value management, municipal coordination, and ensuring safety and quality throughout the project lifecycle.

AVB's core values—doing the right thing, being client-focused, maintaining a positive attitude, taking pride in their work, and fostering teamwork—align seamlessly with our district's mission. Their commitment ensures that our facilities are not only built to the highest standards but also serve the needs of our students, staff, and community for years to come.

Members of the the design team presented at the May 12 Board of Education meeting. Click on the link below to view the entire presentation. Here a few notables:

• BP1A - Stadium
• On schedule
• Under budget by roughly $800,000
• Ribbon Cutting, September 5 - first home game
• This project has a combined contingency account of $500,000, of which, roughly 75% is committed. See the Chart below for more details.
• Carpet Replacement at MS/HS
• 35 classrooms at the high school and IT office at the middle school
• $282,251 cost
• 7 Bids
• Installation: Summer, 2025

Considerable planning has been accomplished in the redesign of the traffic flow in and around the middle and high school buildings. Based on observation and feedback, we feel we have the best plan possible to address safety and flow concerns. A few notables:

• Fully separate buses from carpool and staff traffic at both the middle and high schools
• Reconfigure the carpool traffic routes at both the middle and high schools
• Add needed parking in front of middle and high schools
• Add a 'thru' drive east to west for bus traffic to move within our district
• Open Holler Lane to all traffic coming in or out of the campus allowing for efficient flow

Above: concept design of bus loading lanes on the south side of the middle and high schools.

Below: concept design of parking and carpool lanes on the north side of middle and high schools.

In May and June the design team will be meeting with key staff to gather input on a variety of upcoming projects, including:

• renovations of old middle and high school science rooms
• renovation/expansion of existing high school weight room
• renovation of existing high school girls and boys locker rooms

The upcoming improvement project for the baseball and softball fields will focus on enhancing safety, accessibility, and overall field quality. The project includes the installation of new fencing and backstops for both fields to match the updated fencing planned for the football stadium. Emergency vehicle access points will also be added to both fields.

Upgrades will include new irrigation systems and a modernized controller for better zone management. Since the bladder tanks were replaced two years ago, they will remain in place. On the baseball field, the infield will be re-sodded and the area between third base and home plate will be leveled. Both outfields are currently in good condition and do not require regrading or reseeding.

Additional improvements include the installation of new foul line markers on both fields and cement pads in front of each dugout, extending from the dugout entrances to the safety fences.

The staff and administration from the middle and high schools visited the VS America showroom in Grand Rapids, MI, to begin planning a fall furniture pilot. The visit offered an opportunity to explore flexible, modern furniture solutions that support student-centered learning environments. The team also met with representatives from Custer Office.

VS America and Custer Furniture were selected as suppliers, with VS providing classroom furniture and Custer handling office furnishings. These visits represent an important step in selecting furniture that aligns with the district’s instructional goals.

Thanks to the generous support of our community through the 2024 School Construction Bond, much of the middle school and high school will be receiving brand-new student and staff furniture! The existing furniture is over 25 years old, and the new selections will usher in updated, modern environments for both students and staff, fostering a more comfortable and engaging learning experience.

What’s next?

✅ Furniture pilots: Fall 2025

🚚 Full installation: Fall 2026

Significant progress was made on the stadium project this week. The track grading has been fully completed and successfully passed all required testing, marking a key milestone. Work began on installing the storm drainage system around the field, with ongoing efforts to connect the storm line from the depression area to the field—currently paused at the intersection with existing fiber lines. The southern depression area itself is nearing completion, and crews have also started placing rebar and framing for the retaining wall, setting the stage for the next phase of construction.

Recent progress on the project includes sending out Change Order 03 for the new scoreboard, pouring the bleacher foundations, starting the interior trench drain installation, closing two track sections, and installing fence panels and gravel for the Fire Chief. For next week, anticipated work includes continuing trench drain installation, pouring the concrete curb for it, grading all field event areas, preparing the north start area (excluding fiber work), installing fence posts, and removing the existing scoreboard on May 27. Additionally, from June 9–13, fiber work and the installation of leaching basins, storm systems, and gravel are scheduled.

Part of BP1 includes an allocation for a new score board. Above is a concept design roughly 20' x 28' - a substantial upgrade from our current board, which will be repurposed to the new multi-purpose field south of the stadium. The scoreboard will be moved to the North endzone, to make way for upcoming renovations to the southern entrance in a later bid package.

Recent progress on the project includes the completion of high-ceiling work in the gym and the installation of new booster panels, with all wiring pulled and connected. The P-Link connections between panels are now complete, and the remaining devices for the building have been successfully delivered.

Recent progress includes continued installation of SLC loops on the first floor, pulling wire into new boxes in the auditorium for new devices, and installing new horn and strobe devices in second-floor classrooms, hallways, and the cafeteria. Work also began on installing horns and strobes in first-floor classrooms.

It is important to note that the stadium will be renovated in multiple phases. Phase two, scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2026 and will include renovations to the current press box and the addition of a new sound system.

Phase three will include the construction of a new entryway and concession on the south end of the current stadium, as well as cosmetic improvements to the current entryway on the North side of the stadium.

Exciting progress is underway as we move forward with the design of a new Transportation and Maintenance Building, which is set to begin construction this fall! Located just west of the current high school, this much-needed facility will replace outdated and undersized buildings that no longer meet modern safety standards.

Designed for efficiency, this 24,000-square-foot building will combine both departments, maximizing resources and making the best use of taxpayer dollars. It will include administrative offices, locker and shower facilities, and dedicated garage space for both transportation and maintenance teams. With four drive-through bays, our talented team of mechanics can now service buses more safely and efficiently, eliminating the need for backing in or out.

This new facility will also provide additional dry storage with a dock, streamlining district-wide deliveries and distribution. This investment ensures our district operates more effectively while supporting the vital work of our transportation and maintenance staff.

The work captured in this bond is broken down into bid packages. For example, the work described above is in Bid Package 1A - the very first bid package. Upcoming bid packages are outlined below with tentative timelines.

Please note: The bid packages listed below are currently in various stages of design. Additional bid packages, including those for field turf, the middle school cafeteria, technology, the natatorium, and others, have not yet entered the design phase but will be developed and updated in the future.

Bid Package 1A - Stadium Inner Scope

• Replace field with turf
• Replace track & field
• Replace inner perimeter fencing
• Fall 2024 - project design
• Winter 2024 - project bidding
• Spring 2025 - project construction

Bid Package 1B - Campus Traffic Flow & Parking

• High School and Middle School parent carpool loop reworked
  
• Separation of buses from carpool/community traffic
• Expanded parking in front of the middle and high school
• Stadium press box renovations
• Spring 2026 - project bidding
• Summer of 2026 - project construction

Bid Package 1C - Baseball & Softball Field Upgrades

• Update irrigation system
• Updated perimeter fencing
• Spring 2025 - project bidding
• Summer 2025 - construction

Bid Package 1D - Middle/High School Fire Alarm System Replacement

• Winter 2025 - project bidding
• Summer 2025 - construction

Bid Package 2A - New Construction Transportation & Maintenance Facility

• Winter 2025 - Design Development
• Summer 2025 - project bidding
• Fall 2025 - Fall of 2026 - construction

Our focus revolves around five key objectives for the bond:

1. Preserve existing assets
2. Prioritize safety and security
3. Provide future-focused academic and extracurricular experiences for our students
4. Enhance infrastructure
5. Demonstrate fiscal responsibility

Safety & Security:

• Addressing traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces, and separation of traffic and busing through enhancements
• Replacement of outdated, unreliable security equipment at each building

Transportation:

• Continued replacement of an aging bus fleet

Academic Learning Spaces + Experience:

• Replacement of original, aged classroom equipment and furniture at middle and high schools
• Updates to original, outdated science areas at middle and high schools (excluding the newly renovated portions) to ensure students have state of the art experiences.

Fine Arts:

• Upgrades to lighting and media equipment at the high school auditorium

Infrastructure:

• Replacement of original, outdated lockers, bathrooms, various ceilings, and lighting at middle and high schools
• Renovations to high school weight room including expansion to address overcrowding and scheduling issues for student-athletes and physical education courses
• Upgrade of aged building controls at middle and high schools (water, fire, HVAC, etc.) to provide the most efficient and safe environmental controls
• Addition of cooling to main gymnasiums at the high school

Student Athletic Experience:

• Renovation of aged high school locker rooms
• Renovation of the high school stadium, including artificial turf, new entryways, expanded concessions
• New high school track - the current track is backwards and nearly unusable in the current condition
• Upgrades to baseball and softball fields
• Construction of a new multi-use turf field (soccer, lacrosse, football)
• Maintenance of existing practice fields; addition of a new outdoor practice space

Other Construction:

• Addressing overcrowding in the current Middle School cafeteria
• Replacement of aged, quickly deteriorating tennis courts
  
• Replacement of aged transportation building and maintenance building
• Construction of a fieldhouse facility for indoor practice teams/band to address lack of 12-month practice space; available for community use
• Construction of a student/community pool

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