By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The time to turn some dirt has come.
Trussville City Schools last week announced the groundbreaking ceremonies for two new community elementary schools that will be constructed in the city.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the school to be built in the Cahaba Project is Thursday, April 23 at noon. The groundbreaking ceremony for the school to be built near Magnolia Place is Friday, April 24 at noon.
The bid for the elementary school to be built in the Cahaba Project was approved by the Trussville City Board of Education on Feb. 23. Trussville-based Blalock Building Company was approved to build the school, and renovate the existing structure, for $10,961,000. The company had been revealed as the low bidder Feb. 10 with a bid of $11,088,000. Minor adjustments decreased the cost. Blalock Building Company was the company that won the bid for constructing Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, which was completed in October 2014.
The projected completion date for the school is June 30, 2016.
The bid for the elementary school to be built near Magnolia Place was approved Feb. 12. Birmingham-based Argo Building Company will construct the school for $13,754,935. The expected completion date is July 15, 2016.
Each school will accommodate up to 500 students. The total cost — including construction, renovation, site work, contingency and other costs — for both schools was projected to be around $23 million.
The plan is to open both schools for the 2016-2017 school year.
Trussville residents on Feb. 25, 2014 voted to approve a seven-millage property tax increase to fund the two new community elementary schools. The final results of the vote were 2,813 people in favor of the increase, while 1,935 voted against it. Seven additional mills in property taxes will cost Trussville residents $70 per year on homes appraised at $100,000, $140 per year on homes appraised at $200,000 and $210 per year on homes appraised at $300,000.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.