District wants to rebuild Bradenton middle school. It would come with a big price tag

The School Board of Manatee County will decide on Tuesday whether to move forward with the reconstruction of W.D. Sugg Middle School.

With a budget of $57.1 million, the district hopes to construct a two-story brick building on the same campus in Bradenton, near the corner of 59th Street West and 38th Avenue West, according to the pending agreements.

Classes would continue at the existing school while the project takes place over the next two years, according to an early plan. A crew would demolish the current building, first opened in 1974, after the new facility is constructed nearby.

“Instead of repairing it piece by piece, let’s just knock it down and bring in the latest security upgrades and technology,” said Charlie Kennedy, vice chair for the school board.

Designs for the new school would be inspired by Dr. Mona Jain Middle School, constructed with a budget of $45 million and opened last August. An additional $12.1 million is needed to replace Sugg Middle.

The increased budget includes asbestos testing and abatement, the demolition of an old facility, site restoration, traffic improvements and the relocation of portable buildings and programs. It also accounts for rising construction prices and the cost of working on an active campus.

Harvard Jolly Architects and Willis A. Smith Construction are handling the project. According to their draft contracts, the project will start in June 2020 and wrap up in June 2022.

However, the timeline is still preliminary, including the date of final completion and the date that students can expect to switch buildings, said David Sessions, president and chief executive officer of Willis Smith Construction.

“We are not that far along in the process yet,” he said. “We technically haven’t even been hired to go to work.”

The architects, construction company and school district would form a plan to build the new school around the existing building while limiting disruption to the school day whenever possible, Sessions said.

Crews would likely create a separate entrance, fence the construction site and designate an area for deliveries and workers’ parking.

“We are very excited about meeting the challenges and working with the Manatee school district,” Sessions said.

As she picked up her son from Sugg Middle on Thursday afternoon, Shaelen Ross reflected on a campus she attended from 1989 to 1992. Her brother, sister and daughter have all walked the same halls.

“I’m sad to see it go,” she said. “I mean, it’s a memory.”

Ross said she now visits the campus for parent-teacher nights and festivals. While the building seemed to be in fair condition, perhaps it was time for an update and expansion, she speculated.

The school district commissioned a study of 58 schools and administration buildings earlier this year. While the majority were in good to average condition, eight buildings — Sugg Middle among them — were in poor condition.

Ross’ son, Austin, has one year left at the school. Though he won’t benefit from the new building, he hoped to see upgraded technology and a room for pottery making, complete with a kiln, for use by future students.

And most of all, he hoped the new Sugg Middle would be spacious. Nearly 1,000 students were enrolled at the school this year, according to a Florida Department of Education database.

“When you’re switching classes, it’s so crazy,” he said. “I end up standing by the wall until it clears out a little bit.”