Center Line board receives bond issue update

CENTER LINE — There have been many building updates and renovations in the Center Line Public Schools district in recent years, and there are more to come.

The upgrades are because of two bond issues: a $53.95 million bond that passed in November 2017 and a $17 million capital improvement bond proposal voters approved in May 2023.

PARTNERS in Architecture, PLC, based in Mount Clemens, are the bond project architects. The firm McCarthy and Smith, of Farmington Hills, is the construction manager, which includes owner Bill McCarthy, Project Director Doug Underwood, Project Manager Kyle Pietila, superintendents Ed Westrick and Doug Stocker, and Project Engineer Robb Marshall.

At the Jan. 22 Center Line Public Schools Board of Education meeting, PARTNERS in Architecture Project Manager Brian Hinz gave a presentation that outlined recent projects completed through the 2017 bond and pending projects under the 2023 bond. The firm’s owner, Michael Malone, also was in attendance. The school board meeting was held jointly with the city of Center Line, which had its City Council meeting that night.

During the first half of the presentation, Hinz pointed out the construction completed under the 2017 bond. The presentation included before and after photos of the projects.

“We completed the renovations for the administration building. It started construction in the fall of 2022 and was completed in August this past year,” Hinz said. “We also upgraded all the HVAC throughout the building and new rooftop equipment throughout the building. It’s a much more multifunctional space now.”

That includes an updated multifunctional board room for school board meetings and professional development sessions.

“Now we can situate the room with up to 50 occupants using this space during a PD session,” Hinz said. “I think the district is very happy to change it from a one-use to a multiuse feature.”

The administration building underwent bathroom renovations, heating and cooling/ventilation updates, and received new lighting and a new roof. The bond also was responsible for the demolition of the administration building’s 1941 addition.

“It was a temporary building that was built by FEMA at the time. That portion of the building (had) asbestos. It all got abated and demoed,” Hinz said. “Now that the space is complete it has a nice new facade. There’s going to be a landscaping project where we’re going to invite the high schoolers to help redesign this landscaping area outside to beautify the corner of the site.”

The bond presentation also highlighted the heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements at Center Line High School and Wolfe Middle School. Center Line High School upgrades included HVAC renovations in the bathrooms, the kitchen and cafeteria, the baseball and wrestling room mezzanine, and the main gymnasium.

“We had similar HVAC improvements at (Wolfe) Middle School,” Hinz said. “The media center had some HVAC units that were kind of on the wall taking up some space, so we’ve removed those from the wall and put rooftop equipment unit that is more efficient and provides a much better disbursement of the heat in that space.”

The high school also underwent staff bathroom renovations.

“We also renovated the toilet rooms right across the pool and toilet rooms in Area B,” Hinz said. “The high school’s south parking lot got completely replaced.”

The 2017 bond also provided funding for various upgrades at Crothers Elementary School. During the renovations, the Crothers students are temporarily attending school at the former Roose building.

A bond proposal is developed by the school district and presented to the voters. When a bond proposal passes, the bonds are sold in capital markets at a date determined by the district, a financial adviser and an underwriter. Upon closing, funds generated from the bond sale are deposited in the district’s construction fund and are available to spend for completion of the projects contemplated in the bond proposal.

District Superintendent Joseph Haynes had a message for the public.

“I appreciate everybody in Center Line who supported this. That shows the great things that are happening,” Haynes said. “If you go around to any of our schools they either (are) brand-new (Peck) or (had) major renovations. I take great pride in that, and you should as well. Everything is updated. It’s contemporary.

“Our hope is that people move into Center Line because they want Center Line Schools,” Haynes said. “Most of our HVAC has been updated. You guys know that HVAC is super expensive. Because of the support of our community not only have we set ourselves up with heat and air conditioning, but we’ve also done it for energy efficiency.”

Center Line Mayor Bob Binson also weighed in on the presentation.

“It’s not easy to get community support. When you’re in a position like this, you don’t realize how hard it is to actually spend the money the right way,” Binson said. “It looks like you guys are really going about it the right way. We appreciate the fact you’re putting the time in for the schools because it does make a difference for the community. It is an attraction for people moving into the city.”

According to the presentation, the 2023 bond includes more improvements at the middle school and high school, and at Crothers, plus upgrades at the Eve Kaltz Academy 21 & Special Programs Center, and the transportation and maintenance building.

A complete list of projects is available on the district’s website at clps.org.