Coeur dAlene School District No. 271 is planning an $11 million remodel and expansion of Coeur dAlene High School.


Construction bids for the project are scheduled to be opened today, Feb. 8.


If the bids are acceptable and a contract is awarded to one of the bidders, work on the project, at 5530 N. Fourth, is expected to begin around March 1 and continue through the fall of 2002, says Steve Briggs, the districts director of finance and support services.


The project will add several new classrooms and a second gymnasium to the 1970s-era school, as well as a new commons area that will link the schools wings, he says.


The schools auditorium will be remodeled, as will other areas of the school that werent updated in a remodeling project at the school about five years ago, Briggs says.


Its a really extensive project, and we think at the end of the game its going to be a very new-looking high school, he says.


Plans call for the project to include construction of about 50,000 square feet of new floor space and renovation of about 92,000 square feet of space. Architects West PA, of Coeur dAlene, designed the project.


Coeur dAlene High was built in the early 1970s in an open-air design that was popular in California at the time, Briggs says. Theres been a lot of question as to whether thats the best design for North Idaho, he adds.


The new, enclosed commons will replace a grassy area and tie the schools four main buildings together. When the project is finished, the majority of the high school will be more or less under one roof, he says.


The project will be paid for with funds raised in a school-facilities levy approved by voters in 1998, Briggs says. The $11 million estimate includes design costs and new equipment, he says. Construction costs are expected to be about $9.5 million.


The school, which has an enrollment of about 1,300 students, will stay open during construction.


Were cautiously optimistic that we can keep the school running without any extraordinary measures, Briggs says.