The Dewey Complex renovation project at Perry High School has been progressing well since the concept was introduced last year, and it just took another big leap forward.

At the recent Perry School Board meeting, Mike Murphy from Larson Engineering presented bids for construction on phase one of the renovation. Phase one has been divided into two packages, with a different contractor set to handle each one. The low bid for package one, which includes the entryway, plaza, ticket booths, and concession and restroom building, was from Lang Construction Group for $745,400. For package two, which includes the 1,050-seat expansion to the northside bleachers and the optional addition of a two-story press box, the low bid was from Seating and Athletic Facility Enterprises. They bid $189,108 for the bleachers and $130,943 for the press box.

Superintendent Clark Wicks was pleased with how low the bids were. The original engineer’s estimate was $1.1 million for phase one, not including the press box. The total for the bids received, including the press box, came in under that figure. With the bids accepted and contractors in place, the next task for the District is paying for it all. To accomplish that, they have begun fundraising in earnest. Wicks appeals to the entire community to hop on board to see the project through. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’re going to get run over if you just sit there. So we cannot sit on the side and hope something happens, we have to make things happen. We have to continue to move forward for the people that are going to use this for the next 50 years. And when you walk into that place, let’s have that Bluejay pride. And that’s what we want to do!”

Construction on the complex is scheduled to start in April, with completion set for the middle of August before the first home football game. To learn more about the Dewey Complex project, listen to Tuesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.