The Festus R-6 School District Board of Education on July 16 approved another bid package for the school district’s ongoing $30 million gym-fieldhouse project while construction continues.
The new gym is being built on the side of Festus High School in the area near where the building’s existing gym sits. The fieldhouse location is near the baseball field on the other side of the campus. The high school is located at 501 Westwind Drive.
The latest bid package focusing on the fieldhouse included total bids of $3,053,933 for a wide variety of work involving general trades, HVAC, roofing, windows, studs/drywall, painting, flooring, plumbing, fire suppression and electrical, Superintendent Nicki Ruess said.
Board members voted 6-0 to approve Bid Package 4. Board member Brent Abrams was absent from the meeting.
“We are very excited to see the continued progress of our new gymnasium and indoor activities facility,” she said in a written statement. “Construction continues to progress as planned, and we are pleased with the quality of work and collaboration among our architects, construction manager, contractors and district staff.”
In September 2025, the board approved taking a construction manager at risk (CMAR) approach to the massive gym-fieldhouse project, choosing Brockmiller Construction of Farmington to serve as CMAR. Brockmiller collaborates with school district officials and the project’s architect, Archimages of Kirkwood.
Colin Rogers, Brockmiller’s president, attended the meeting and reported on some specifics of the Bid Package 4 bids.
“In a nutshell, it was the foundation and appendages the metal building, which is the lobby, restrooms, storage area and all exterior finishes and roofing, in addition to the entire mechanical electrical plumbing system and the finishes inside, along with the sports equipment (of the fieldhouse),” Rogers said. “We had 12 different bid packages and we solicited 97 bidders.”
Of the bidders solicited, 31 submitted bids, he said.
Ruess said the low bids in all cases were accepted for Bid Package 4. Construction of the gym and fieldhouse structures still will not be finished for some time, she said.
“The gym will not be complete until the 2028-2029 school year, likely January of 2029, tentatively,” she said. “The indoor facility will be open fall of 2027, tentatively.”
The gym-fieldhouse project is being funded with revenue from Proposition F that voters approved in April 2019, authorizing a 59-cent tax levy increase to fund multiple improvements across the district.
Ruess spoke of the importance of the project for the district.
“This project represents much more than a new building,” she said. “It is an investment in our students, our staff and the future of our community. The new gymnasium and indoor facility will provide expanded opportunities for physical education, athletic programs, extracurricular activities, community events, and year-round training and wellness. It will allow multiple groups to utilize our facilities simultaneously while providing safe, modern spaces that better meet the needs of our growing district.
“As our enrollment continues to increase, it is important that our facilities keep pace with the educational and extracurricular opportunities our students deserve. This project was carefully planned with both current needs and future growth in mind, ensuring that the investment will serve our district for decades to come.”
The bidding process on the project is nearing its end, she said.
“There will be one more bid package, Bid Package 5,” Ruess said. “That will be an asphalt bid package, but it will not be for several months.”