Nearly 6 1/2 years after Upper Perkiomen School Board members initially considered the option of building a new middle school, six years and one week since crews broke ground on a 43-acre parcel near the intersection of Montgomery Avenue and 11th Street in Upper Hanover and 26 months after the facility opened, the board has nearly finished paying the bills for the construction. Last week, the members voted to approve a motion to submit the final project accounting to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

            The document, included as an online attachment to the Oct. 27 workshop meeting agenda, identifies the final cost as $53.180 million, more than $5 million less than initially estimated. Only one bill remains for the project, according to Daniel C. Direso, the district's business administrator.

            After the meeting, Direso said that the district could close the book on the construction costs after it receives and pays a bill from the project's architect for completing and submitting it to the state agency. The district spent $51.793 million on structure costs, architect's fees, movable fixtures and equipment and site costs.

            It paid $4.504 million in fees to Breslin Architects, an Allentown firm. It spent $984,992 in construction manager fees.

            The bids for the general contract were opened on Aug. 13, 2017. All construction – including charge orders and supplemental contracts – were completed on Nov. 2, 2020, according to a certificate of architect signed by Robert Breslin, president of the architectural firm.

            The district spent $45.487 million on site costs. That includes $32.640 million for the general construction, $5,180 for the electrical work, $4,877 million for plumbing and $2.739 million for heating and ventilating.

            The project includes a line item for Movable Fixtures and Equipment totaling $1.624 million, as well as $177,783 in total site costs. The district also spent $7,600 on test bores.

            The document identifies $394,081 in total financing costs. It includes $171,986 to a financial advisor, $136,761 in legal fees, $66,561 in Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures and ratings fees, $9,933 in bond Auction Administration Fees, $4,515 for Paying Agent/Trustee Fees and Expenses and $4,335 in printing.

            On May 11, 2016, the school board voted to participate in Pennsylvania's PlanCon program which could provide reimbursement to the district for future school construction by submitting and completing a set of planning and construction forms prior to the beginning of an 18-month moratorium.

            The board awarded the construction contracts on Sept. 4, 2017, one month after the bids were opened. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 20, 2017.

            A reorganized board voted to shut down construction on Dec. 4. 2017. However, the work resumed 15 days later when Member James Glackin changed his vote. The building opened Sept. 5, 2019.