FSCC Fine Arts Center plans redrawn to trim construction costs

Fort Scott Community College officials have made some changes in their plans to build a new fine arts center on the FSCC campus.

Plans for the exterior of the proposed $6.8 million, 33,000-square-foot facility have been redrawn to get the initial construction costs for the building down, FSCC Director of Business Development Daryl Roller told the FSCC Board of Trustees during their Monday meeting. Rising costs have caused FSCC officials to view preliminary images of the structure, and develop new blueprints of the building before construction begins, which should be sometime in late 2007, Roller said.

"Redrawing (of the plans) has saved us money," he said. "The (cost) was originally well over $7 million. Everything inside the building will stay the same."

The Ellis Family Fine Arts Center -- named after local businessman Danny Ellis and his wife, Willa, who have made several contributions to the community over the years -- will take about 18 months to build after all construction aspects have been finalized, FSCC President Jim Miesner said. The center will contain a 600-seat auditorium, and several classrooms for music, art, speech, band, and theater programs at the college, and the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity that is currently housed in the FSCC library.

FSCC is working with an Arkansas-based construction firm to look at building requirements and to determine costs for all aspects of its construction. To date, the FSCC Endowment Association has collected about $4.6 million in gifts and pledges toward the construction of the new center, Roller said. The original cost for the proposed center was around $5 million, but increasing costs have brought the total closer to $7 million.

College officials will now try to raise the additional $2 million within the next year.

"We continue to move on this," Miesner said. "We're just moving toward a new goal."

On Monday, trustees also voted unanimously to enter into a long-term energy savings plan with Chevron Energy Solutions Company, which could save the college millions of dollars over the next 15 years, and save between $80,000 and $100,000 each year on utility costs alone.

Chevron representative John O'Herron presented the final proposal of the plan, a 10-month process between FSCC and Chevron, to trustees during the meeting.

"This is the culmination of many months of work," O'Herron said. "This is the perfect project for performance contracting because there is no up-front capital, and because of FSCC's many (energy) needs."

Final financing costs for the plan total a little more than $2 million. Projects will be awarded to area contractors and some sub-contractors, officials said.

Officials plan to make several improvements to the FSCC campus, including new lighting systems, and a new Internet-based centralized energy management control system that will control heating and cooling units that will save money on energy use and equipment. The control system will also turn off equipment that doesn't need to be operating.

Other projects include water conservation efforts, a new hot water system and the replacement of the boiler and chiller at the college, all of which will save money and be easier to maintain. Crews also plan to install new double-paned windows and exterior glass that will reduce glare, retain heat during the winter, and improve comfort for students, faculty and staff. Improvements will also extend the life of the buildings and equipment.

Workers will also install a new roof and overhead doors at the FSCC Industrial Arts Building and a new air-cooled chiller at the FSCC Burke Street Campus, in order to get aging equipment up to code.

After trustees approved the plan, FSCC officials plan to begin ordering equipment as soon as possible and will begin other projects this week, Miesner said. Crews will also work over spring break, so as not to interfere with classes at the college, he said.

In other business Monday, trustees:

* Heard a report on the recent Gordon Parks Celebration of Culture and Diversity -- which occurred the first week of October -- from Jill Warford, the center's executive director. Warford said she received about 55 evaluations from people who attended the event this year. About 2,023 people attended events during the four-day celebration, an increase from last year, she said. There were 344 registered ticket buyers who attended daytime events during the celebration. Four area high schools were represented and ticket sales outside of Fort Scott totaled about 38 percent, she said.

* Approved an agreement between FSCC and the Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross for the use of FSCC grounds, equipment and buildings by the Red Cross as mass care shelters for displaced victims in the event of a disaster.

* Approved the purchase of a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu for use as a college fleet vehicle at a cost of $10,598.

* Approved a new fee schedule for the FSCC Dental Hygiene Program starting with the spring 2007 semester. Program officials have implemented the new fee schedule to help offset the increased cost of supplies needed to operate the program, in which students train to become licensed dental hygienists. Different fees will be charged for various dental services completed by students.

* Approved the resignation of Kansas City Truck Driving School secretary Walsie Jones, and hired Ashlee Vinardi as an instructor at the FSCC Cosmetology School in Pittsburg.

* Heard a report from Miesner on the selection process for the college's new chief administrator, who will officially replace Miesner after his retirement in July. FSCC officials have received numerous inquiries and applications concerning the position, and interviews are scheduled to being in January, he said. The new president will assume Miesner's role in March, before an annual meeting of college officials in Chicago that month, he said.

* Tabled approval of the 2006-07 athletic handbook until the December meeting. Trustees wish to review the handbook in more detail before approving it.

The meeting later adjourned with no further action.