Whitefish High School has made significant changes to its reconstruction project that may save money and retain square footage originally slated for demolition.

These changes push back a recommendation of the project’s final bid package to July 9. The third bid package contains the majority of new construction and renovation of the school’s B-wing, from framing to finishes. Bid proposals were submitted May 21.

A recommendation was to be made at a board meeting Tuesday, but was delayed for the second time in order to review and reassess changed specifications.

School district representative Bayard Dominick of Steeplechase Advisors said during the process of reviewing bids the construction project, the team came up with a cost-effective decision to retain roughly 6,500 square feet of existing space originally scheduled for demolition and replaced with a 13-foot hallway. He discussed plans during a budget and oversight committee meeting last week.

The majority of retained space is a foyer located on the west side of the building in front of the gym. Existing administrative offices, a concession area and two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms also will stay. This space will not be remodeled, but refreshed with paint and new light fixtures.

Administrative offices — about 1,700 square feet — are planned to be re-purposed as an extended arts space. This should please students who were concerned that art classrooms had decreased in size as the construction plan evolved, and that ceramics no longer would be available once the Whitefish Independent High School building was sold. The kiln room for firing pottery currently is housed at the Independent High School. About 350 students signed a petition for keeping ceramics and gave it to Whitefish High School Principal Kerry Drown.

Discussion during the committee meeting included the possibility of installing proper ventilation in the administrative office area as a future option for a kiln room. Drown said prior to this opportunity, there was no space for a kiln room.

“We were looking at ways to use other facilities — the middle school, Stumptown — we didn’t want the program to go away,” Drown said.

Dominick said the changes likely will save money and help the district meet its $19 million budget of combined new construction and renovations. In April the project was over budget by about $451,747. Dominick and Loren Cantrell of Langlas & Associates were confident the project would meet the budget by the time they proposed a recommendation for the third bid package.

“We’re really excited about it [the changes] but it creates some challenges relative to timing,” Dominick said. “We’re not ready to make a recommendation even if the foyer wasn’t on the table.”

In the meantime, construction crews finished pouring the first concrete floor of the A-wing Friday, said Dow Powell of Dow’s Custom Construction. Powell serves as the district’s representative over construction. Renovation of the high school athletic and training complex is well underway

The athletic complex budget recently received a shot in the arm through a $1 million donation from the Iron Horse Foundation.

 The complex includes a weight room, cardio room, officials’ changing room and locker rooms for physical education classes and home and visiting sports teams.  

Considering all the changes the timeline shouldn’t affect the construction timeline overall, Cantrell said.

A move-in date for the new portion of the school is still scheduled for August 2014.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.