The Greene County School Board heard about several construction projects at their work session on Wednesday.

The Board first heard an update on the high school project. The District’s Owner Representative Sam Harding said the gym floor is complete and the bleachers are expected to be installed next week. The high school varsity volleyball team is anticipated to use the facility starting September 24th. The auditorium is expected to be delayed to December 1st for the high school music department’s dessert concert. The south parking lot will be replaced in the next two weeks, due to warm weather cracking the concrete. 

Harding then gave an update on the middle school project. He said heating and cooling units to the parts of the building that don’t already have it will be installed by the end of this month. The gym is anticipated to be completed by mid-November.

A board member then brought up a concern with the security cameras at the new high school. The concern was about the facial recognition system and if that was subject to public access. Technology Director Brent Gerzma said the facial recognition has not been activated yet this year. Superintendent Tim Christensen said any video that the district has is not subject to public access, due to security reasons. 

Finally, Developer Nate Adams gave an update on the apartment project proposal for the former middle school building. He presented an initial concept drawing of the layout as it relates to the Three Block Project. That project connects three blocks along Highway 4 with the Early Learning Center, a park, community green space, the middle school as apartments, and the Greene County Community Center. Adams wants to develop the middle school into 25 apartments, but intends to demolish the gym and connecting corridor. 

Christensen said cost estimates from OPN Architects for initial upgrades and improvements to the gym for utilities was $326,000, a new HVAC system was $350,000 and a new roof for $200,000. Adams said keeping the gym was not a reasonable business model for wedding receptions and the like to pay for the utilities and other ongoing maintenance, it would be an additional cost to whoever owned it, and it could impact getting necessary funding for the apartment project. 

The Board approved during the regular meeting to schedule a public hearing on the gym for their regular October meeting. They also directed Christensen to obtain bids for demolishing the gym, along with asbestos and lead removal.