In a special-called Thursday afternoon meeting, Christian County Public Schools officials Thursday voted unanimously in favor to approve any and all documents necessary to begin the construction of its new consolidated high school on Lovers Lane and Fort Campbell Boulevard.
Costing just north of $106 million in construction alone, and $131 million for its entirety, the decision brings an end to what’s been a tumultuous year for the district, and a beginning to the unification of Christian County and Hopkinsville students.
The biggest surprise of the afternoon, however, is that board members — under advisement of Superintendent Chris Bentzel and, perhaps, the community — unanimously moved in favor of naming the building “Christian County High School” with a Tigers mascot, and commanding colors of black, orange and blue.
Originally slated to be the Hopkinsville-Christian County Academy Wolfpack during discussions last year, Bentzel said the 2,900-student facility is still going to maintain an “academy” model — with collegiate and employment development for its children.
However, the new school is a new start for everyone. Bentzel called it “one county, one school.”
Bentzel thanked the board for “taking the next step” in the process, which will also involve the evolution of faculty, staff, students and a campus in Christian County.
Jessica Darnell, the district’s director of finance, said the school had the ability to fund the project at its cost, with Baird’s Kelly Mrsic noting the district’s strong AA credit rating should allow for an $82-to-$86 million 30-year bond sale between 4.5% and 4.7% — much lower than today’s mortgage rates.
Tim Geegan, of Alliance Corporation, said the two most difficult costs to estimate in the contracting process were HVAC/plumbing and site and grading work — work, he said, that will prepare the property for future growth and development, just as the district has planned in its future phases.
Geegan also iterated that the cost of this structure sits at $352 per square foot, while the board’s attorney, Jack Lackey Jr., added that any cost considerations — higher or lower — will have to come through board approval in the coming months and years.
The hope and expectation, gym included, is for the facility to be open to students by the fall of 2026. Its design is by Hafer Architects.
In a list of details provided by district leadership, the $106.4 million construction of the building can be broken down into 29 bid packages at cost. And Thursday’s approval also included alternates 1, 2, 3 and 4, which will further be referred to as phases “1A” and “1B.”
Phase 1a includes all four academy-style wings, office and administrative space, a library/media center, an auxiliary gym, visitor/staff/student parking and bus staging areas, a marching band practice lot, access roads and courtyards.
Phase 1b includes completion of a 3,000-seat competition gymnasium with team space and locker rooms, a greenhouse and additional district storage.
Following the post-bid conversations held between Alliance and applied companies, two organizations chose to withdraw from consideration. Alliance will remain as the construction manager for the BG-1.
While primary colors of orange, black and blue will be used in the new “Tigers” logo, so, too, will the accent colors of gold and white be used in lettering and promotion materials.
In a separate Thursday meeting, the Christian County Finance Corporation elected Tom Bell as chair, Lindsey Clark as vice chair, Bentzel as secretary, Darnell as treasurer, and Baird Financial was selected for the bond sale.
As of Thursday, the district had more than $45.6 million in on-hand cash to begin the project in full earnest.
A groundbreaking ceremony is being planned, will be held in the near future and will be open to the public. Groundwork for the project is set to begin in the next few weeks.
