TCAPS Board Considers $17M Bids for After-School Clubhouse, Fieldhouse

TCAPS trustees are set to consider authorizing a $17,236,000 construction package for a new After-school Clubhouse and Multi-Purpose Fieldhouse located on district property behind East Middle School on Carlisle Road. The figure, reported by local coverage, includes a 9.28% construction contingency, construction manager services and general conditions for construction; other outlets rounded the total to about $17.3 million or described it as over $17 million.

The project calls for a pre-engineered metal building described as more than 125,000 square feet and outfitted with full competition-sized fields for football, soccer and lacrosse, batting cages, and courts designed to accommodate MHSAA-regulation play. The athletic program would also center on a six-lane 400-meter track, described in design documents as a six-lane perimeter running track with sprint lane extensions and a pole vault pit, along with team changing rooms, restrooms, storage and mechanical rooms.

Procurement documents name Hallmark Construction Inc. as the construction manager the board is being asked to authorize, with Hallmark organizing construction bid requests into 18 separate categories. TraverseTicker coverage identifies TMP Architecture as the architecture and engineering firm under consideration; TMP’s proposal specifies MHSAA-regulation fields and courts and accessory athletic features. The board previously approved $650,000 for architectural and engineering services, money drawn from the district’s 2018 Capital Bond Funds allocation for the project.

District leaders say the project will be funded through a combination of the 2018 bond allocation and community partner donations. The district’s bond allocation to the project is reported as $10,000,000, with the remaining costs supported by contributions from community partners named in planning materials, including the Northern Michigan Homefield Alliance and Traverse City Tourism.

Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner framed the facility as student-first in a memo to trustees: "It is imperative to emphasize that this multi-purpose fieldhouse is being designed first and foremost for the benefit of our TCAPS students." VanWagoner added that "upon completion, the facility will be integrated and managed within an expanded TCAPS LEAP program. This integration includes dedicated facility management, plans for after-school programming for East Middle School students, and robust summer camps offering a diverse array of extra and co-curricular opportunities across various disciplines." He described the proposal as "a significant investment in our students' future" and "a valuable asset for our entire community."

The Board of Education meeting where trustees are expected to take up authorization of Hallmark Construction Inc. begins at 5 p.m. Monday. National reporting lists a goal to complete the fieldhouse in time for the 2027-2028 school year. Site work in the scope documents includes construction of parking areas and site lighting, and the 18-category bid structure will determine how those elements are parceled and priced.

Board action at 5 p.m. will decide whether Hallmark can proceed with the multi-category bidding that underlies the $17,236,000 plan and whether TMP’s architecture and engineering work will move from concept toward construction, setting the district’s schedule for a facility intended to expand after-school and summer programming for East Middle School and the wider Traverse City community.