The public school board chose the site in 2021. The next step is the tender stage, when the companies will make detailed submissions.
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The long-awaited City Centre school project on Saskatoon’s west side has moved one step forward.
The provincial government and Saskatoon Public Schools on Wednesday announced a group of six shortlisted contractors selected to bid on the project, which involves amalgamating King George, Pleasant Hill and Princess Alexandra schools on the Princess Alexandra site on Avenue H South.
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Graham Construction, PCL Construction, Quorex Construction, VCM Construction, Westridge Construction and Wright Construction were shortlisted to submit bids for the job.
The province said the bidding list is “another milestone” which “shows that the project is progressing steadily toward construction.”
The public school board chose the site in 2021, after exploring multiple options that included a portion of Optimist Park and several locations in the West Industrial area. The project is being referred to as the City Centre school project until an official name is selected.
“This milestone brings us one step closer to delivering a modern learning environment for students in Saskatoon’s city centre area,” Education Minister Everett Hindley said in a statement.
“This new school will not only provide high-quality education spaces but will also serve as a hub for community engagement and collaboration, supporting the needs of students and families for years to come.”
The three amalgamating schools have a combined $68 million in deferred maintenance costs. Replacing them is expected to cost the province about $29 million.
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The new school will bring together pre-kindergarten to Grade 8 students from the Princess Alexandra, King George, and Pleasant Hill neighbourhoods. The school is being built to accommodate up to 400 students, plus community services and 74 child care spaces.
Alexandra School opened as a four-classroom school in 1907; Princess School was built nearby five years later. In 1961, the original Princess School was replaced with the current building, and in 1984 Alexandra School was demolished and the two schools merged to become Princess Alexandra.
Saskatoon Public Schools issued a request for qualifications, after which the six companies “were selected through a competitive process, with the aim of ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of the project,” the province said.
Moving on to the tender stage, the construction companies will now provide detailed submissions to bid on the contract.
According to the province, construction is expected to begin after the procurement process.
“We are excited to have a shortlist of teams for the Saskatoon City Centre school project,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit said in a statement.
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“This is an important step towards construction that shows our province’s focus on building modern schools for future generations and supporting strong and growing communities.”
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