PORT ANGELES — A replacement of Port Angeles High School would cost between $99 million and $118 million depending on the outcome of project choices to be decided by the Port Angeles School Board next week.
A full replacement for the 61-year-old school would cost $118 million, while leaving a replacement of the gymnasium out of the work would drop the price to $99 million, Chris Lilley of McGranahan Architects of Tacoma told about 50 people who attended Tuesday’s third and final high school design community forum.
The School Board will meet to hear a Capital Facilities Bond Committee recommendation on the project options at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Jefferson Elementary School, 218 E. 12th St.
The School Board is expected to vote on the final bond amount Nov. 13, which would be sent to voters in February.
Lilley said the $99 million would cover the price of construction of the main school buildings and renovation of the existing auditorium.
McGranahan Architects was hired to design the school-replacement project, and possible designs were unveiled for the first time at Tuesday’s meeting.
The price is slightly higher than similar projects in the Seattle-Tacoma area because of the steeply sloped property and the remote location, Lilley said.
He said construction would be staggered over seven phases as crews build a wing, open new classrooms to students and then demolish vacated buildings and build the next wing in their place.
The preliminary design for the high school is a two-story structure built in roughly a U-shape with a large courtyard between two main classroom wings on the northeast portion of the 39.7-acre sloped campus at 304 E. Park Ave.
The replacement would increase the square footage from 222,000 to 237,000.
Six of the 10 buildings on the campus were built in 1953, two in 1958 and two in 1978.
During a 2007 inspection of the buildings, the structures received scores as low as 25.5 out of a possible 100 score, with the newest structure receiving a 56.4 rating.
Architectural inspiration came from the weaving of the area’s Native American tribes — joining together the city’s history, the community and the future, said Gail Merth, architectural designer.
“We are weaving together the curriculum. We come together and become stronger. The high school weaves together a community,” Merth said.
There would be three major moves from old buildings to new ones, Lilley said, with the final phase of construction finished for students in the fall of 2019.
Demolition and parking areas would be complete by the end of 2019, Lilley said.
The initial design of the high school wraps the school around the existing auditorium, also known as the Port Angeles High School Performing Arts Center.
The front entrance would open to a student commons that would also serve as a reception area for the auditorium, with stairs to the library.
The auditorium also could be isolated from the rest of the school for community events.
A new gymnasium the same size as the existing one would cost $18 million — about the same as an entire elementary school — and about the same for a complete renovation, which would cost about 90 cents on the dollar comparatively, Lilley said.
If the board chooses to repair only what is legally necessary to bring the building up to seismic and fire codes and meet accessibility requirements, it would cost about 75 cents on the dollar compared with building a new building, he said.
Currently, the gymnasium has three full basketball courts, plus a large addition that can be used for wrestling or other events — considerably more space than most schools of similar size, Lilley said.
Audience members were concerned about the loss of the large venue.
It is the largest indoor space in Port Angeles and hosts many of the city’s largest community events, including nine major basketball tournaments, the KONP Home Show, high school graduations and the All-City Strings concert.
The gymnasium is in use from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. almost daily, said School Board member Sarah Methner.
If the district builds a smaller, less expensive gym, appropriate for the number of students at the school, many of those events may not be possible, Methner said.
Audience members noted that the gym’s activities bring money to the community.
Events at the gym often fill Port Angeles hotels and sometimes overflow to Sequim-area hotels, said Kelly Pearson, district director of finance and operations.
The Port Angeles School District recently received a letter from the Red Lion Hotel in which management said a recent weekend tournament at the gym resulted in a sold-out weekend — about $200,000 in revenue from that hotel alone, Pearson said.
Audience members suggested that the district leave the gym as is and hope that a state school construction fund will reimburse the district with enough cash to refurbish the gym after the rest of the school is complete.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
