Contractor bid workshop for new Waukegan schools slated

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Updated: February 29, 2012 8:05AM

With the first phase of the Waukegan Public Schools’ $37.7 million classroom-expansion project set to be released for bids on March 1, District 60 officials have scheduled a Feb. 13 information session for prospective contractors.

The “construction trade workshop,” to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waukegan High School’s Brookside Campus, will also “provide guidance to those individuals and companies seeking to obtain Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification,” according to a district official.

“The workshop will be an informational event to allow those in the industry an opportunity to network and understand and see the size, scope and scale of each bid package,” the District 60 spokesman said Friday, noting that contractors and industry professionals will be able to meet with representatives from Fanning Howey, the project’s lead architect.

The overall effort, using $28.3 million from the state’s “Illinois Jobs Now!” capital-development program and $9.6 million in construction bonds taken out by the district, will add a total of 116 classrooms at 12 different district elementary schools.

The first phase — categorized by the district as the “Gold Package” — is scheduled to be released for bid on March 1 and will include additions to Carman-Buckner, Washington and Whittier elementary schools. Later phases will target the nine additional elementary school additions, furniture and technology packages.

Anyone with questions regarding the construction workshop is asked to contact Nicholas Alajakis at (847) 782-3213 or nalajakis@wps60.org.