Following the community’s decisive approval of a $73 million building bond, the Lincoln County School District has taken significant strides toward realizing a new era for arts and events at its local high schools. The ambitious plan to construct new auditoriums at Newport, Waldport, and Toledo high schools has now moved from a voter-approved concept to a tangible project with key partners officially selected. The school district board recently concluded a rigorous selection process, choosing the architectural firms and construction management teams that will bring these community assets to life. This critical step marks the beginning of an intensive design and budgeting phase, setting a clear trajectory for the development of three state-of-the-art performance venues. These facilities are poised to become central hubs for student performances, educational programs, and community gatherings, fulfilling a long-held vision for enhanced cultural infrastructure within the county’s educational system.
The Selection of Key Partners
The district has strategically assigned distinct teams to each site to ensure focused and specialized project management, drawing from a competitive pool of eight applicants for the construction roles. For the Newport High School auditorium, the board selected the expertise of Fortis Construction of Portland, a firm known for handling large-scale public projects, paired with the local design vision of Newport-based Capri Architecture. In Waldport, the project will be spearheaded by DSL Builders from Salem, which will collaborate with Glas Architects of Eugene to design and build the new facility. Glas Architects will also lend its expertise to the Toledo High School project, which will be managed by another prominent Portland firm, Todd Construction. This careful pairing of construction managers and architects is intended to foster a collaborative environment from the outset, integrating design and construction planning to streamline the process and manage resources effectively as the projects advance.
Navigating Timelines and Budgets
With the core teams now in place, the immediate focus shifts to an intensive period of design finalization and cost estimation, which is crucial for keeping the projects on schedule and within financial parameters. Each 12,000-square-foot facility, designed to accommodate between 310 and 325 people, carries a preliminary budget of up to $12 million. The newly appointed firms are tasked with delivering comprehensive designs and a guaranteed maximum price by March, providing the district with a clear financial roadmap. To ensure fiscal responsibility and validate the contractors’ estimates, the district has also engaged an independent estimator to provide a comparative cost analysis. Officials are pursuing an ambitious timeline that includes breaking ground this summer, with a target opening date of September 2027. This schedule, while aggressive, reflected the district’s commitment to delivering these long-awaited facilities to the community as efficiently as possible.
