Bids for Two Niobrara School Bldgs. Are Awarded By School Board Friday
Bids were awarded by the Niobrara County School Board Friday evening for the construction of a new Niobrara High School building and an addition to the present Lusk High School building to make it suitable for use as a grade school. Construction is expected to begin about April 1. The buildings are to be ready for school use by Sept. 1954.
The Spielgelberg Lumber and Building Co., of Laramie was awarded the general contract for the construction of both buildings on a bid of $473,000. The Plumbing, heating and ventilating contract was awarded to L.E. Poole of Torrington on a bid of $96,284 for both buildings. The electrical bid had not yet been awarded by The Herald's press time Wednesday pending investigation of references of some of the electrical bidders.
SPIEGELBERG WELL KNOWN
The Spiegelberg Co. is well-known in Wyoming building circles.The company has recently built the Memorial Football Stadium at the University of Wyoming, the State Office Building at Cheyenne, the new Goshen County Memorial Hospital, the new elementary school in Torrington as well as many other large buildings.
L.E. Poole, the plumbing, heating and ventilating contractor, did the work on the Torrington buildings with Spielberg.
The bids were opened in the eight grade room of the Lusk Grade School building by Burton Hall, president of the school board, in the presence of some 60 bidders and spectators Thursday evening.
Bids were accepted separately for the new buildings or together as well as on two alternated plans omitting portions of the buildings.
Spiegelberg's bid was above the $459,000 bid of the Stonberger Construction Co., of S. Dak. However, when the mandatory statute allowing an in-state bidder 5% preference over out-of-state bidders was applied. Spiegelberg's bid was low by $9650. Poole's bid was the lowest plumbing bid.
OTHER BIDS GIVEN
Other general contract bids were: Fullen Construction, Inc., of Scottsbluff, $515,270 for both buildings: Oscar Bostrum, $136,021.45 for the addition and $378,561.54 for the new high school building, no bid for both buildings was submitted; and Hancock-Carson, Inc., of Cheyenne for the new high school building, $390, 272.
On the plumbing, heating and ventilating contract other bids were: Midwest Hardware Co. of Lusk, for the addition $42,500.89 and $78,746.61 for the new high school. No bid was submitted on both buildings; Miller Plumbing and Heating Co., of Cheyenne, $103,377 for both buildings, $41,438 for the addition, $61,939 for the high school; Gray's Plumbing and Heating Co., of Scottsbluff $113,000 for both buildings, , $67,071 for the high school, $46,952 for the addition.
MODERN DESIGN
The new high school building is a combination one and two-story building with a separated agriculture and industrial arts building connected to the main high school building with a covered walk.
The addition to the present Lusk high school building is a one-story addition and will be added onto the north side.
The model of the new high school is not on display in the window of The Lusk Herald. Both buildings are of a modernistic design.
The buildings were designed by the architectural firm of Sternberg and Murrin. Eugene D. Sternberg is the architect working directly on the Niobrara buildings. The high school is so designed that it many be built onto in the future. An appropriate position has been purposely been left for a gymnasium and auditorium addition.