The Barton Community College Board of Trustees is expected to approve a bid for a new bunkhouse at the Camp Aldrich Conference Center when it meets on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
The board was set to discuss the item during its study session, set to start at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Room F-30 of the Fine Arts Building. Now, the board has scheduled a special meeting following the study session so it can take action.
The Trails End Cabin at Camp Aldrich was destroyed by a fire on Aug. 10, 2018. The administration recommends that the board accept the low bid of $935,000 from Harbin Construction, Salina, to rebuild the facility.
Brentwood Builders of Great Bend and Wiens Construction of Hutchinson submitted higher bids. All three contractors estimated that the work could be completed by the end of May.
Their bids cover the construction of the new facility and demolition of the remains of Trails End Cabin and the demolition of Aldrich House, a small cabin that has only partial rest-room facilities (no showers or tub). There will be additional costs/reimbursements for the contents and architectural fees, as well as possible change orders.
Harbin Construction’s base bid of $856,000 includes a metal exterior for the building. An alternate bid of $79,600 adds the same siding as the Dining and Events center, making the two facilities match in color and design.
The insurance company has agreed to pay up to $616,000 plus contents plus architectural fees. Barton will have a $25,000 deductible. The facility must include all required code upgrades, such as fire codes and Americans with Disabilities Act.
Different options and cost estimates were considered with plans to replace Trails End Cabin with a larger bunkhouse than the original, that could be constructed in phases if necessary.
The basic design, or base bid, has polished concrete floors and the interior walls will be skinned with horizontal metal. It was designed to provide space, energy efficiency, and additional rest-rooms, as well as increased capacity.
The college has been attempting to raises additional funds via various foundations for both Phase I (reconstruction) and Phase II (Pool & Shower house). To date $366,000 has been raised. An additional application will be submitted to another foundation requesting supplemental funding for both phases of the project.
