Bidding on reconstructing Forks High School starts Wednesday
The 1925 facade of the old Forks High School building has been left standing to possibly incorporate in the new high school building's design. -- Photo by Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News
By Paige Dickerson
Peninsula Daily News
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The old portions of the building, which had been gradually taken out of use over several years, were torn down starting in June.
The only remaining portion is the facade and some supporting walls of the 1925 portion of the building.
The budget for the bids is set at about $12 million, said Kasey Wyatt, project manager for the Quillayute Valley School District, but final numbers won't be known until all bids are submitted.
The portion left standing will be part of the bidding process -- an alternative that will have the facade of the old high school left standing and incorporated into the new structure as a memory of the old school, Wyatt said.
The older portion of the high school had a significant community sentiment attached to it because of its history -- not to mention the tens of thousands of "Twilight" fans who flock to the area annually to take pictures next to the school where the fictional character Bella attends.
The "Twilight" saga is set in Forks, and the main character meets her vampire love interest in a chemistry class in the high school.
The best-selling books and blockbuster movies -- which were not filmed in Forks -- have drawn fans from throughout the world to the West End town.
Schools Superintendent Diana Reaume promised the community when the construction bond issue was up for a vote that the new design would retain the facade if the cost was not too great.
Voters in the school district approved the $11 million construction bond issue in February.
District officials also expect to get about $7 million in state funding.
John Wegener of BRLB Architects, which designed the new high school, said the structure will be more education- and Earth-friendly.
The plans include use of a biomass boiler that is currently in the final stages of construction, reclaimed water for flushing toilets and natural light in each classroom.
"Given the condition of the older classrooms that are being replaced and the power requirements and technologies, this will have better mechanical systems and comfort levels for both staff and students," Wegener said.
The new 39,500-squarefoot school is comprised of double-loaded corridor classroom wings that branch off from the facility's new administrative spaces and feature six new classrooms, two resource rooms, one multipurpose classroom, a self-contained special-needs classroom, a band and choral rehearsal room, a technology lab, a consumer science classroom, a health room and a student library, according to materials from BRLB.
Wyatt said about 50 percent of the old building will be recycled into the foundation for the new building.
Completion of the new high school is scheduled for October 2011, Wegener said.
One remaining mystery for the high school is what hides behind the 1925 structure's walls, Wyatt said.
A time capsule is rumored to lie behind the cornerstone of the building, but the district hasn't decided whether to see if the capsule is really there, she said.
A pre-bid meeting with contractors will be held Sept. 9.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: August 30. 2010 11:52PM
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