The schematic design and preliminary budget for the Reimagine Miller project were approved by the Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education during the regular Monday meeting, and the process of creating a renovated Miller Middle School was moved into the next phase.

Two Boyd Jones Construction representatives — Senior Project Manager Michael Martin and Senior Recon Manager Mitch Brockmeier — presented a 42-page document with images of what is envisioned for the school project.

Brockmeier told the board members they were at the meeting not only for Boyd Jones, which is the primary contractor on the $106 million project, but also for Invision Architects.

“What we’ve been doing over the last two and a half weeks is really vetting the design ideas [Invision] had, ideas we had against our overall budget,” he said.

Brockmeier said they are confident they can remain within the budget and felt confident in bringing the schematic design to ask for approval.

“Which will allow us to move into the design development phase, understanding that at this time, we feel comfortable that this project is sitting right where it should for a project of this size,” he said.

After approval, Brockmeier said they will continue vetting ideas to push the design further down the timeline.

“We really start to get into a lot more of the details and start to refine that estimate, and just work with the district along with the design team to maintain the integrity of the project. It will really validate the wants and needs that are coming out of all the user group meetings,” he said.

Brockmeier said they want to get as many of the wants everyone would like to see in the project and also determine what needs to be included.

According to the presented document, the design process is only 15 to 20 percent complete, but the schematic design refines assumptions made during a pre-bond referendum meeting. The intent is to verify room-by-room space programming through detailed conversations with the leadership team and stakeholders. The design options explore the project’s layout, form and spatial relationships with a goal of establishing a clear design direction that aligns with the shared vision and functional requirements. It serves as a foundation for the later design phases, which include detailed room-by-room discussions with staff, along with material selections and construction documents instructing the contractors how to make the school a reality.

Superintendent Theron Schutte said what was presented is not very different from what was shown at a previous meeting. Last night’s presentation was just asking for a “green light” to move from one stage of the development to the next.

Also for the Miller Middle School project, the board approved spending $360,000 to purchase three properties adjacent to the school:

• 112 S. 12th St. for $100,000;

• 202 S. 12th St. for $160,000 and;

• 206 S. 12fth St. for $100,000;

“With board approval of purchasing these three properties, that would leave one more property to go in order to knock out all of what we identified as priority properties that are close in proximity to Miller,” Schutte said. “In the short term, it will provide additional square footage for the logistics necessary to stage multiple construction equipment and resources that are going to be needed for the Reimagine Miller project; and long-term, to create enhanced parking spaces to the west of Miller.”

The project has been able to get this far because Marshalltown residents voted in favor of $57 million in general obligation bonds in the November general election to expand, renovate and rebuild the middle school. The remaining $49 million of the $106 million project will be paid for through the SAVE (Secure an Advanced Vision for Education) fund.

The Reimagine Miller project will address the challenges the facility is dealing with, transforming 80 percent of the school into new or like new. Some of the issues include:

• Lack of space;

• Needed updates in the media center, kitchen and bathroom entries and exits;

• Inadequate heating and cooling;

• Need to update aesthetics;

• Gym, wrestling area and locker room renovation;

• Constant standing water and moisture in the lower level.

The intention of the district, Boyd-Jones and Invision is to keep the historic auditorium.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.