The West Aurora School District has approved a construction contract to build a technical education center on this site at its 15-acre campus on the city’s West Side. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News)
West Aurora School District has accepted a nearly $3.9 million general contractor bid for construction of a technical education facility.
The West Aurora School Board voted unanimously to award the lowest bid at $3,892,000 received from RC Wegman Construction of Aurora for construction of the Weisner Family Center for Career Development.
The center will be built on a vacant parking lot on the north end of the campus closest to Reimer Drive. The facility will have workshops for specialized training in welding and machining, as well as workshops for other skills.
“It’s going to be great for kids,” School Board President Robert Gonzalez told The Beacon-News.
The project is the last of the construction being funded in the district through $84.2 million approved by voters in a referendum.
Gonzalez said West Aurora High School students interested in technical-related careers currently are bused to the Fox Valley Career Center on the campus of Kaneland High School in Maple Park.
The Kaneland School District 302 vocational career center draws students from many high schools in the Aurora area.
Gonzalez said 96 students from West Aurora are expected to attend classes at the Kaneland site in the fall. However, thanks to the new technical education center to be built in Aurora, this is the next to last year that West Aurora will be sending students outside of the district, he said.
“I can’t wait for the center to open,” he said.
He said technical education is an important element for the district to offer students.
“Not all kids are ready for college,” Gonzalez said. “A perfect example is my brother-in-law. We’re the same age. He went to the University of Illinois at Champaign for a year and decided college was not for him. He’s now a brilliant tool and die designer.”
Cordogan Clark & Associates Architects has been overseeing the design phase of the building. Architect Kelly Schomer in board documents said the bid accepted includes four design alternates, including a bid alternate to expand the facility by another 4,000 square feet to the west.
Schomer in a letter to the district recommended the RC Wegman low bid. She said the firm is “confident that they are the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the work request.”
School officials have said while the welding and machining labs will be permanent, the other workshops at the new facility can change based on changes in technology. The classes predominantly will be for high school juniors and seniors interest in pursuing technical careers.
Schomer said the project is scheduled to be completed in March 2019.
The West Aurora campus also includes the district’s central administration offices at 1877 W. Downer Place.
Also on the campus is the old Dreyer Medical Clinic site that is currently under renovation. The three-story building will house multiple programs, including early childhood and Pathways to Prosperity programs as well as students from the Blackhawk campus on Randall Road, which houses alternative education. The renovation project is scheduled to be completed in November.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
