Four of Milford’s elementary school buildings - McCormick, Meadowview, Mulberry and Pattinson - have asphalt shingle roofs that have a life expectancy of approximately 20 years. McCormick and Mulberry were opened in 2003 and Meadowview and Pattinson were opened in 2004. The shingles on the roofs have cracked prematurely. The roofs have been maintained over their lifespan but are now to the point where the repairs needed are too many and too costly to upkeep. It makes more financial sense to replace each of the roofs at this point. With this roof replacement project timeline, all four roofs will be replaced when they are 17 years old.  

Each roof is approximately 90,000 square feet. The cost to replace the roofs vary depending on the materials used. Replacing the four roofs using an asphalt shingle is projected to cost $5,400,000; using a standing metal seam is projected to cost $8,600,000; and using thermoplastic membranes cost $5,200,000 for TPO and $6,900,000 for PVC. 

$2,000,000 of the costs of this project will come from the Classroom Facilities Maintenance Fund. The remaining balance of the project costs have been budgeted to come out of the general fund. 

A project of this size requires the use of an outside firm to provide Architect and Engineering services before the scope of work can be put up for bid to construction companies. In July of this year, the district advertised for Request for Qualifications from reputable firms to serve as Architect and Engineering Service Contract for the project. The district also reached out to three firms who had previously expressed interest in working on the district’s facilities projects. Two responses were received from SHP Leading Design and Mays Consulting & Evaluation Services. 

The two firms’ submitted statement of qualifications were reviewed by the Superintendent, the Director of Business Operations, and Board Members George Lucas and Chris Hamm. They recommended to the Board of Education that the Architect and Engineering Service Contract be awarded to SHP Leading Design at a cost of $177,000. At their meeting September 19, the Board of Education voted to approve the contract.

The services included in the Architect and Engineering contract include: 

• Evaluation of existing roof conditions and examine why the current roofs failed to meet their full life expectancy 

• Full design service of new roof including assistance in evaluating different materials 

• Computer rendering of the different material types so aesthetics can be evaluated.

• Development of bid packages and permit drawings.

• Contract administration services. 

The Board agreed SHP was the most qualified firm for this project for many reasons. One, they are a local firm whereas Mays Consulting is based out of Columbus. Two, SHP has previously done work in Clermont County, and they have experience working with the Clermont County Engineer's Office. That experience is valuable on a project of this scale with many detailed plans and permits that must be submitted to the Engineer’s Office for approval. 

Architect and Engineering services are needed for any large scale building project and are typically a percentage of the total project cost. The Architect and Engineering Services will conclude next spring and the project will go out to bid to construction companies. All four of the elementary building roofs will be replaced in the summer when children are not in the building. McCormick and Mulberry’s roofs will be completed in the summer of 2020 and Meadowview and Pattison’s roofs will be completed in the summer of 2021.