Contracts Awarded For New Racine Unified Adminstration Building

Two local firms have been awarded contracts to turn the former Surgitek manufacturing complex into office space for the Racine Unified School District in June and July. The new offices will be located at 3109 Mount Pleasant Street.

The RUSD Board of Education recently awarded a $699,500 contract to Absolute Construction of Racine for remodeling work and a $110,500 contract to Martin Petersen Co. of Kenosha to install new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Frank Jarosz, RUSD facilities director, said that both winning bids were within budget.

The school district’s teaching and learning administrative staffs, warehouse, classroom materials center and diagnostics staff will be housed in a 78,000-square-foot former factory and office building. All but the diagnostics staff, which is moving from 5911 Erie St., will relocate from the current Administrative Service Center, 2220 Northwestern Ave.

Jarosz said the building is expected to be completed in late July and move-in will be done in August.

A 26,000-square-foot office building on the property will house RUSD’s buildings and grounds, human resources and part of the information systems departments. Those departments will also move from Northwestern Avenue. Staff training space will be available on the second floor.

RUSD maintenance staff members are doing the remodeling work on the smaller structure. Jarosz said that work is expected to be completed by late June and move-in to take place in July.

The School Board late last year purchased the former Surgitek property for $3.8 million. Progress reports on the new Administrative Service Center remodeling are to be presented to the School Board’s Audit Committee. That committee’s next meeting is at 5:30 p.m., Monday, June 13 at 2220 Northwestern Ave.