Construction at Franklin High School continues to move along as expected, with new construction starting now that school has been dismissed for the summer. An update was also made to the county’s capital project ordinance to account for new, recently appropriated funding.
Macon County Schools project manager Tracy Tallent said work on the parking lot’s drainage system is underway, with workers digging a trench to continue the drain through the parking lot. Soil cement was added to stabilize the ground, which will soon be ready for concrete. Tallent said the lot should still be ready for students’ return in August.
Since then, Tallent said construction workers are pouring concrete walls for the bleacher area at the stadium. Footers for a concession building have been poured, and with the plumbing installed, the plot is ready for masonry block walls to be laid. Tallent said he hopes “to see a building on that slab by mid-July.”
Dirt is being pushed to Frogtown as weather permits, Tallent said.
The Macon County Board of Commissioners, at its May 13 meeting, approved a capital project ordinance amendment to account for $11,750 to cover the cost of surveying the intersection between Porter Street and Panther Drive The costs will be reimbursed by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The total cost of construction has remained under its $123.4 million guaranteed maximum price, with additional costs bringing the total cost to $140,526,449, according to Macon County Finance Director Lori Carpenter. That is an increase from the $134.8 million estimated last August.
“Above and beyond construction, we had to budget funds for furniture, equipment, architect fees, professional fees such as Geotech exploration, special inspections, etc. and then there were issuance costs related to the debt,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the original number did not include $4 million in architect fees, $636,644 to cover the cost of preliminary work during the 2024 summer break, the $161,732 cost of surveying, engineering and inspection, and $682,600 for bond issuance costs.
Carpenter said the county was additionally able to find NCDOT funding and Duke Energy rebates totaling $130,000 to offset the cost of furniture and equipment, which also adds to the total cost of the project.