Work is underway to renovate the Student Center at Jefferson College’s Hillsboro campus.
The college Board of Trustees voted unanimously April 22 to award a $527,778 contract to Wachter Construction in Arnold to complete the renovations.
The company submitted the lowest of three bids for the renovation project, which is designed to spread out offices and employees, allowing for better social distancing. The project also will create an admissions office suite that will be open and accessible to the public, staff reported.
“The work has already started,” President Dena McCaffrey said April 29. “Our goal is for it to finish by July.”
In March, the board hired KRJ Architects of St. Louis to oversee the renovation project. The architectural fees will be charged at 7.5 percent of the construction costs.
A large part of the project will be to move some upstairs offices to the bottom floor, which currently is largely occupied by a cafeteria, McCaffrey said.
She said the cafeteria, which will remain open during the construction, is large enough to share the bottom floor space with other college operations.
The total cost for the project, including contingencies and furniture, are estimated at $680,000. The project will be funded with CARES Act money, staff reported.