Mid-Prairie has taken the next step towards a six-figure repair to the Mid-Prairie Middle School gym foundation. The school board awarded the project to Apex Construction, one of three companies who submitted bids. School officials were pleased to see the bid come in at $106,375, well below the orginal $180,000-200,000 estimate.

Onesty Friday from Shive-Hattery, the architecture engineering firm hired by the district, told the school board they are able to use more affordable materials, ”There are two ways to do the foundation strengthening; one is helical piers, and one is with push piers, and push piers need bedrock. Even though we didn’t hit bedrock with the boarings we did, the [tests] indicated that bedrock was only 50-60 feet down. The push piers ended up being cheaper.”

Friday added that even after digging an extra 50-60 feet, the push piers were the more affordable route. Construction is expected to begin in June once summer break starts and should be wrapped up by the first week of August.