Three Kirkwood projects to go out for bid

Kirkwood Community College officials will seek bids on three construction projects, including the school's new truck-driving ranges at the former Midland Forge plant.

The move to seek bids on the projects was approved by the Kirkwood board of trustees at their meeting Thursday.

The projects are:

• Construction of truck-driving ranges, a training loop and parking lot at the Kirkwood Continuing Education Training Center at 101 50th Ave. SW, a project estimated at $1.3 million;
• Construction of the Kirkwood Eagle Tech Store in Benton Hall, which will be an Apple Authorized Campus Store, at an estimated cost of $700,000; and
• A renovation of Benton Hall classrooms in the older portion of the building, at an estimated cost of $300,000.

The board will consider bids on the three projects at a meeting May 10.

The truck-driving range will be completed sometime in fall 2012. The Eagle Tech Store is slated to be done by November. The Benton Hall classroom remodeling is expected to be done by the start of the fall semester.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the board approved the bid on the roof replacement at the Kirkwood Continuing Education Training Center, which is the old Midland Forge plant where Kirkwood will relocate its programs in semi-truck driving, fire safety and group industrial training. The lowest of four bids on the roof replacement was $713,000.