Construction begins on MHS football field

Construction work began recently at the Malverne High School athletic complex, which is being renovated as part of a district bond project approved by taxpayers last November.

The track was closed to the public as construction crews began installing artificial turf on the football field, which is expected to be ready for use by the opening game of the season on Sept. 15, according to Assistant Superintendent for District Operations Spiro Colaitis.

The renovations are part of Proposition 2, the $4.2 million facilities piece of the total $14.1 million bond taxpayers voted to approve on Nov. 16, 2010. Included in the project is a $130,200 renovation of locker rooms at the Howard T. Herber Middle School, soccer field modifications, bleacher and sound-system replacements, tennis and basketball court reconstructions and a field irrigation system. Colaitis said most of that work is expected to be completed by Nov. 1; the locker rooms will likely be ready for use by the start of the school year.

“The district is very excited and very pleased that we are finally moving forward,” said Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund. “[The project] is moving along at a rapid pace.”

“They broke ground on the project during the first week of July,” said Malverne varsity football head coach Kito Lockwood. “We don’t have an exact completion date, but we’re hoping to play our last two home games on the new turf. Any home games not played at the high school will be held at the middle school. We’re just grateful to be getting a new facility. It’s going to be great.”

While some are relieved that the projects are finally underway, others, including at least one Board of Education trustee, are concerned that work has begun without signed contracts in place.

“There is $4 million of work going on in my backyard and I haven’t seen the contracts,” said Trustee Gina Genti, who slammed district administrators at the board’s July 12 meeting for failing to provide the board with paperwork for winning bids approved in June. Genti reminded administrators that she had requested the documents on June 29, after the board held a special meeting to approve bid that came in at the lowest reasonable price, but received only a memo on July 7.

In response, Colaitis said that the contracts are not yet available: upon review by the district’s legal counsel, the contracts will be sent to contractors to sign and will then go to board President Danielle Hopkins for signature. Only then will they be made available. Hopkins asked that the administration provide a copy of the winning proposals to each of the trustees while the board awaits the completion of the signature process.

But several residents were still concerned about liability issues — such as potential accidents or injuries and incomplete work — and asked why construction began before contracts were signed. District legal counsel Florence Frazer assured residents that the district is “well protected” and explained that administrators issued a letter of award.

“The contract is just a formality,” Colaitis said, noting that a proposal and bond, along with plans, specs, qualifications and insurance, are in place. The decision to proceed with construction, he added, was made to ensure that the field and locker room projects would be completed by the start of the school year. “Otherwise,” he said, “we wouldn’t meet our goals.”

The district hired Elite Construction — whose CEO is Michael Reed, son of community activist Rener Reed, as a clerk of the works to help Colaitis oversee construction.

Proposition 1, the $9.9 million education piece of the bond project, has not yet begun; the district expects state approval of the project before the end of July, but work would not begin until the middle of the school year, according to Hunderfund, who said the district will post weekly progress updates on its website, malverne.k12.ny.us.

Prop 1 entails more complicated work than that of Prop 2, according to Colaitis, and will have a construction manager. Included in Prop 1 is a 4,795-square-foot addition to the Maurice W. Downing Primary School building, which is also expected to get a roof replacement, cafeteria renovations, kitchen and ADA upgrades, exterior door replacements and more, all at a cost of about $3.75 million. The Davison Avenue Intermediary School is expected to get a 9,908-square-foot building addition — which allow the fifth grade to remain in the building instead of moving to Herber — a science lab classroom, an instrumental music practice space, exterior wall repairs and more, for a cost of about $6.1 million.

Last year, the State Education Department promised to reimburse the district in part if it were to move forward with the $14.1 million bond project. While Malverne taxpayers would pay about $8.5 million in borrowing costs throughout the length of the bond — which would likely be 20 years — the state would pay the remaining $5.6 million (39.7 percent) in the form of infrastructure aid. The last time taxpayers approved a bond for school improvements was in 1979 and it was for $1.5 million.