SUMMARY

Project Name: Charlottesville City Schools Reconfiguration Design

Department: Public Works Department

Start Date: 3/17/2021

End Date: 8/12/2026

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Charlottesville City School Board has, since at least 2008, advocated for the reconfiguration of grade disbursement at CCS to eliminate one campus transition and to consolidate 6-8th grade students in one campus. In 2019, City Council approved the expenditure of $3M for design work to this end. A $50M place holder was applied to the FY25 budget to anticipate a construction budget. Neither of these values were based on formal estimates, but were attempts to get design work started, and to build a funding path. After an approximate one year delay due to concerns over funding related to the pandemic, VMDO Architects were hired to begin design work. City Council and School Board have supported an adjustment in scope that will bring the project cost to $75M, which should be available in FY24 to avoid a year of cost escalation. To that end, $2.5M was required in FY23 to contract with our consultants to complete design work in time for project execution in FY24. The current request is for $84,813,410, which in addition to the $4.0M granted in the FY23 budget will total the estimated project value of $90,813,410.

The funding for this project will be funded through the use of bond funds, school gainsharing funds and school construction funds provided by the State to Charlottesville City Schools (CCS) that the school board has allocated for this project.

RELATIONSHIP TO comprehensive PLAN:

Chapter 9 : Community Facilities and Services

Goal 1. Efficient Planning for Facilities and Infrastructure

Prioritize efficient construction and maintenance of all community infrastructure and facilities, and ensure that infrastructure capacity is built and maintained in line with growth or declining demand, as appropriate.

Goal 2. City Schools

Improve and maintain public school facilities to continue providing an excellent education to students.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES / STATUS:

Objective: This project will reconfigure the grade distribution of middle-years students in Charlottesville City Schools, moving grades 6,7 and 8 to a renovated and expanded middle school on the Buford site, moving 5th grade students back to the neighborhood elementary schools. This will free the Walker campus to become a central PreK.

Status: The project is currently in design with an expected bid window in spring 2023.