“The Board of Trustees came through and we thank them very much,” said a thrilled Miguel Villarreal, Director of Food and Nutritional Services, when the Novato Unified School Board of Trustees voted 7-0 on Tuesday, February 26, to award the construction contract for new cafeterias at both Novato High School and San Marin High School.
The contract was awarded to GCCI, Inc. for $3,944,000, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the project. GCCI, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Rosa and has been specializing in commercial and industrial construction for over 28 years. They are currently working on the multi-purpose room at San Ramon Elementary School.
Construction at San Marin High School is scheduled to being in April and Novato High School in June. Both projects are estimated to take approximately 10 months to complete and meals will continue to be served at both high schools during the construction period.
These new cafeterias will include a modern kitchen with modern equipment, modern serving facilities enabling staff to provide healthy meals to all students in a timely manner, and a dining area where students can sit and eat that can also function as a multi-purpose room. San Marin High School currently does not have a designated area for students to sit and eat.
Principals at both high schools are excited about the new cafeterias at their campuses. “The San Marin High School community is very excited about the addition of the new cafeteria. Students will be able to enjoy their lunch in comfort, especially during inclement weather. The multi-use facility will also accommodate basketball practices, wrestling tournaments, and other school co- and extra-curricular activities. An Internet cafe will be established for students and staff to communicate, collaborate, conduct research, and complete projects,” commented Adam Littlefield, Principal at San Marin High School.
On January 15, 2013, the Board authorized staff to go to bid on the project with a construction estimate of $5,187,890. This project is partially funded by the State and has been approved for State funding in the amount of $2,248,450. The remaining funds will come from NUSD’s Fund 21 – Building Fund.
