Spokane Public Schools says it has selected contractors for two North Central High School construction projects that are valued at a combined $1.3 million and are expected to be completed this summer.

In one of the projects, the district has awarded Citadel Construction Inc., of Spokane, a $761,500 contract to renovate classrooms on the north part of North Central High's campus, which is at 1600 N. Howard, says Greg Brown, the district's director of capital projects. Also, the district has awarded Bouten Construction Co., of Spokane, a $552,000 contract to construct two practice baseball-softball fields in the Indian Trail neighborhood on Spokane's North Side, he says.

Citadel will convert underused space in an annex north of North Central's main building into digital photography classrooms and a studio, Brown says. That space most recently had housed an auto shop and weight room. The weight-room equipment will be moved closer to other health and fitness facilities on campus and will be brought up to a standard to match that at other high schools in the district, he says.

In all, the remodeling job will involve about 8,000 square feet of space, and the district plans to install $50,000 to $100,000 worth of equipment and furnishings, in addition to the construction cost of the project, Brown says.

The new ball fields will be developed about six miles northwest of the North Central campus, on 6 acres of vacant land the district owns at 8421 N. Parkway, adjacent to Pacific Park, a 5-acre city park a block west of Indian Trail Road. In addition to the ball fields, the project will include construction of a 550-square-foot storage building with a covered area for two portable restrooms, the district's plans show.

Currently, the school doesn't have enough practice fields, which forces teams to vie for time on city-owned ball fields, Brown says.

Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, designed both projects.

The classroom project will be funded through the $288 million school bond that the district's patrons approved last year, and the baseball fields will be paid for with money left over from cost savings on other projects funded by the $165 million 2003 bond levy, Brown says.