SOUTH WAYNE — While the build of the new portion of Black Hawk Schools is on hold, superintendent Willy Chambers has been trying to keep families, staff and district residents aware of any updates. 

“There are many pieces that need to come together before we will have a new timeline for the project,” Chambers wrote in his most recent letter, released to the Republican Journal on June 20. He said there is not an updated timeline for construction to begin just yet, but that he is hopeful to have it rectified and shovels in ground by the end of the summer.

The district passed a $8.5 million referendum back on April 5, 2022. The funds will go to building a new structure that will attach to the school, as well as renovating other portions of the current facility. The goal was to update the educational facilities while also removing the original structure built in 1921.

However, the project is currently on hold. 

In late 2022, when bids came, all were over budget by nearly 25%. Chambers, the board and planners all came up with a strategy to trim down the scope of the project. The lowest bid came in from Empire Construction Company, which was contracted for the build on April 12, 2023.

Chambers said on May 23, he, two representatives from HSR Associates and one from Fisher Excavating met with three reps from Empire Construction to review the timeline and general phasing of the project. They had planned to begin work on June 5, 2023, and be done with the project 14 months later in August 2024.

However, on May 31, things began to unravel. Empire Construction, which is involved in 19 other projects bonded by Old Republic, stopped answering attempted contacts, and the June 1 groundbreaking was postponed. The following day, Old Republic Surety Company’s attorney, Andrea Jahimiak, was informed Empire would be unable to complete the project. The district had not yet provided Empire any funds. 

Janet Doherty, a consultant from Vertex Companies, was retained to assist the district with the process of moving forward.

On June 7, Sjonstrom and Sons, the second lowest bidder for the project, was contacted for a June 16 meeting to discuss the possibility of taking over the project. 

“At the end of the meeting, Robert (Whitmer, Sjonstrom and Sons) indicated that it would take a week or two for them to provide new numbers for the project,” Chambers said. The third bidder, Tricon, or even a different general contractor entirely could be selected.

Ultimately, with the loans already taken out, Old Republic controls the path of the project.

“There are no guarantees at this time, but I am hopeful that ground will be broke on the project by the end of the summer,” Chambers said.

Darlington FEMA Structure also on hold

At a recent Darlington School Board meeting, District Administrator Cale Jackson updated the board on their own construction project.

“Our FEMA Structure is on hold, our construction company (Empire Construction Company) closed up their doors and skipped town,” Jackson said. “We do have insurance to cover that type of thing. So now any costs associated with getting this thing back on track and getting a new company will be paid by this insurance company. Our fiscal responsibility will only be what it was in the first place.”

He said there are a lot of steps involved in this process, but they are through just about all of them. 

There was a recent meeting between the insurance company and Market & Johnson, who was the second lowest bidder on the project at the time. 

“I assume they are going to start a negotiation process and see how far they get. Market & Johnson is working on the Southwest Health Clinic on the West side of town, they may have interest on being in the same town for two different projects,” Jackson said.

The original bids for the Darlington FEMA Project were: 

●  Empire Construction Co., Chicago: $6,280,000 million

●  Findorf & Son, Madison: $6,750,000

●  Market & Johnson, Eau Claire: $6,414,000

●  Miron Construction, Neenah: $$6,792,136

●  Portzen Construction, Dubuque, Iowa: $6,575,000

●  Tricon Construction Group, Dubuque, Iowa: $6,540,000.

— Brian Lund contributed to this report