“Moving Forward“
(From the Proceedings of the 2024 Convention, page 47)
It was noted by the ILC Building Committee (ILCBC) Chairman Michael Roehl that the project was stuck in a “circular conundrum” in that the general contractor could not provide a realistic cost estimate without a viable timeline provided by the CLC which was difficult, if not impossible, to provide since the membership had trouble getting behind a project without a realistic cost estimate. Contractor: “Give us some dates so we can give you a cost. CLC: “Give us a cost so we can give you some dates.”
The membership of the CLC reiterated their resolve that the gym project should remain the top priority. Realizing the difficulty of obtaining funding for both projects (Fieldhouse/Gym & Fine Arts Center), the Convention voted to separate the two projects and move ahead with the gym project. With that new direction, the ILCBC instructed our architects to move forward with the approved design concept. Our general contractor, Market & Johnson, completed the initial low-level bid process in September of 2023. Based on their data, the current estimate for the gymnasium project alone is approximately $10M.
While certainly a daunting figure, it is encouraging to note that with $1.5M in the ILC Building Fund and $3M in the form of a CEF loan, we currently have funding in place for 45% of the estimated cost of the construction of the new gymnasium.