Evaluation team shortlists architects

Christine Wood photo

This current Gibsons Elementary School building will likely be demolished when a new school is built on the site in 2014.

Christine Wood/Staff Writer

A team from School District No. 46 (SD46) is currently short-listing architects who want to design the new Gibsons Elementary School.

The evaluation team consists of secretary treasurer Nic Weswick, superintendent of schools Patrick Bocking, Gibsons Elementary School principal Deborah Luporini, manager of facilities Rob Collison and project consultant Jim Alkins as well as an outside architect to help evaluate plans and monitor fairness.

He monitors the entire process to make sure that its done by the book, said board chair Silas White. I guess when youre dealing with this much money in a public structure like this, you dont want that to be a question where someones awarded a contract for reasons that might not be completely above the board.

The contract is worth millions to the right proponent. In April the province announced SD46 would receive $ 14.3 million to build the new school.

Originally Gibsons Elementary School was going to undergo a seismic upgrade, but a feasibility study done in 2007 showed constructing a smaller, more energy-efficient school to be more cost-effective.

Once the evaluation team picks their three favourite architects, a more detailed request for proposals will go out to them, including the teams criteria for the build.

The RFP will put some restrictions on what we want. Like if we want parking in a certain place if they want certain fields to be preserved thats the kind of thing that will go into the RFP, and I think that will be happening in October, White said.

Originally posted here:
Evaluation team shortlists architects