BLINN BOARD BEGINS PROCESS TO BUILD NEW SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY BUILDING IN BRENHAM
Blinn trustees took opening steps towards building a new science, technology, and innovation building on the Brenham campus at Tuesday’s meeting.
The board will move forward with the issuance and sale of $30 million of revenue bonds. Proceeds from the sale of those bonds will go towards the development of the new building. The College will begin taking bids approximately April 16th. Closure date for the sale of the bonds will be May 15th.
The facility will look to provide additional laboratory space for Blinn’s science, engineering and health science programs. The project is still in its preliminary stages, as administrators are beginning the process to determine the site of the building. The project’s budget is still in development.
The College will also seek qualifications for an architect to design the proposed facility, and proposals for construction manager at-risk services. The board will look to receive proposals from architects in February, and present them in March.
In other items, the College awarded a guaranteed maximum price of $2.47 million to Madison Construction, for the renovation of the W.L. Moody, Jr. Library on the Brenham Campus. The project is expected to begin in February and conclude in July.
The board will also seek bids from contractors, for cast stone replacement and exterior wall work for several buildings on the Bryan Campus. Preliminary cost estimates range from $2.5 to $3 million.
The board also ordered an election for May 4th, for the At-Large Positions 1, 2, and 3, each for six-year terms. Board members Atwood Kenjura and David Sommer each announced they would not seek re-election.
Kenjura has served 43 years on the board, seven terms as Board Chair, four as Vice-Chair, and two as Board Secretary. Sommer has spent seven years on the board, serving as Board Chair from 2015-17, and as Secretary since May 2017.
Today (Wednesday) is the first day to file for city and school elections. Applicants seeking a place on the ballot must file by Friday, February 15th. Those interested can file at Blinn’s Administration Office, on 802 Green Street in Brenham.