<!--Rick Forgione--><table width="234" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" background="http://static.cnhi.zope.net/flashpromo/niagaragazette/images/byline_234x60.jpg" height="60"><tr><td><div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By Rick Forgione</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></font><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:rick.forgione@niagara-gazette.com">rick.forgione@niagara-gazette.com</a></font></div></td></tr></table>
LEWISTON — The discovery of asbestos inside several Lewiston-Porter schools has slowed down the district’s $28 million capital project but is not expected to alter the completion date set for later this month.
Andy Schuler of Cannon Design gave a progress update during Tuesday’s Lewiston-Porter Board of Education meeting. He reported all of the major renovation work is completed and only minor touches like painting and cleaning remain for the project, which includes repairs and upgrades throughout the Creek Road campus facilities.
“We’re on target for substantial completion of all work by Aug. 30,” Schuler reported.
Jeopardizing that deadline was unforeseen abatement work needed earlier this month after asbestos was found within the walls inside the Intermediate School main office, under sinks and cabinets at the Primary School and numerous locations inside the high school.
“It slowed us down,” Schuler said, adding the abatement work is now complete.
Schuler said he could not yet give a cost estimate of removing the asbestos but a change order covering the work will be submitted to the school board for approval at next month’s meeting.
On Tuesday, the board approved a list of other change orders that totaled $104,566. Most of that extra work consisted of painting and installing lighting in other areas inside the schools not included in the original two-phase $28 million project. There also was approximately $30,000 worth of additional security.
Schuler told the board the project has only used up $200,000 of the $560,000 contingency budget set up for change orders.
School Superintendent R. Christopher Roser endorsed Tuesday’s change orders, saying a lot of the needed extra work couldn’t be done once students return in September.
“Some of that stuff was either now or never,” he said.
Roser also encouraged board members to take a tour of each building on campus and see first-hand how the capital improvements are shaping up.
“A lot of neat stuff is occurring,” Roser said.
