School board hears revamped gym proposal

The plan to add a second gymnasium to the New Rockford-Sheyenne Public School may soon become a whole lot more affordable.

Since first being approved back in 2020, the cost of the school's new gymnasium has ballooned far past expectations, with the latest price tag estimated in excess of $4 million.

That number, according to members of the second gym committee, has proven to be a tough hurdle to overcome when talking to potential donors.

But now, a new plan promises to significantly cut the project's overall price tag, without sacrificing the building's size or capabilities.

During the school board's meeting on Monday, Nov. 13, members of the second gym committee presented the new plan, which makes changes to how the gymnasium could be constructed.

Essentially, instead of the standard "brick-and-mortar" structure that had previously been proposed, the new version of the gymnasium would be constructed using a permanent steel-frame skeleton, which is then clad in PVC fabric.

That's right, fabric.

Shannon Humbert, a representative of Legacy Building Solutions, was on hand Monday to discuss the possibility of using PVC fabric.

The company constructs fabric buildings all around the country, from a recreational structure currently in progress in Belcourt, N.D., to larger projects at Texas A&M University and for the U.S. military.

Humbert assured the board that the PVC fabric is more than strong enough, as he pointed to similar buildings they've constructed in Florida that are required to withstand certain hurricane conditions.

He explained that the building's steel frame would essentially be the same as any steel-clad building, they'd simply use PVC fabric instead of steel.

The outside of the building would be clad in 28 oz fabric, and the inside would be lined with 19 oz fabric, he explained. In between would be the steel frame, insulation, electrical and just about anything else you'd find inside the walls of a structure.

"From a building code standpoint, from a longevity standpoint, from a warranty standpoint, we're going to be able to check all the boxes," explained Humbert.

"If you clad this building with steel, they're going to give you a 25-year warranty. If you clad the building with PVC fabric, we're going to give you a 25-year warranty, with a 30-year life expectancy."

He also explained that the roof would likely be the only portion of the building that would need replacing after 25-30 years, and that because the PVC fabric is installed in panels, the replacement process would be relatively simple and could be done only a few panels at a time, as needed.

One concern expressed by the board was if archery would be a problem, seeing as NR-S currently has a large archery program, and that finding a new home for archery practices and competitions was a major selling point for the new gym.

Humbert said he doesn't believe an arrow shot from the kind of bow used by their archery program would cause any damage, but that they could add some additional protection to one of the walls to erase any concerns. He added that patching the fabric is fairly easy and inexpensive.

Humbert also handed out samples of their PVC fabric to the board members, and mentioned a few other benefits that come with using their fabric, such as a much faster construction time.

"Six to eight weeks is about how long it takes to erect the building," he said.

That's from the moment Legacy Building Solutions arrives with their steel frame and PVC fabric, which would be after the concrete and other necessary structures are already in place.

Using PVC fabric, he explained, also allows them to consider whether they need an HVAC system, as the fabric has airtight and "non-conductive" properties that have allowed some to get away with large fans and good air flow.

However, switching to PVC fabric appears to require significant changes from the original plans already approved by the school board.

For example, if the district moves forward with PVC fabric, a structure for locker rooms, bathrooms and storage would have to be independently built within the gymnasium – essentially a building inside a building.

That would differ from the original plan to have the locker rooms and a hallway connecting the gymnasium to the school, and as a result the new gymnasium may not be connected to the main school, at least not initially. The location of the gymnasium – just off the school's CTE wing – would remain the same.

However, no finalized plans or drawings were presented, and the images shown on Monday were only conceptual renderings or examples of fabric buildings already constructed.

There's no official cost estimate either, but Reed Weisenburger, one of the second gym committee members in attendance Monday, told the board he thinks they can get the gymnasium built for half as much as the previously- expected price tag if not less, based on similar PVC fabric buildings and rough estimations.

Elliott Belquist, NR-S Athletic Director and a member of the second gym committee, was also there to present the PVC fabric idea.

Belquist and Weisenburger explained that the ballooning cost of the project is what drove them to look for alternatives to the original plan, and both expressed their support for the proposed changes.

"I'm absolutely sold on these buildings and I can't believe more of these high schools and colleges aren't putting these up, because they're really economical and they look like they fit the bill for everything. I think that's why they're getting to be popular," said Weisenburger.

"I was kind of getting discouraged with the cost of this project and how things were going, but it's kind of like this has revitalized this thing."

No official motions were made regarding the new plan, and no discussion amongst the school board members was held following the presentation.

Weisenburger told the Transcript on Tuesday that the school board will have to carry a motion to approve the new plan before the second gym committee can push forward.

He added that raising funds through PACE Fundraising – the firm hired to organize and conduct much of the committee's fundraising efforts – has been paused for the time being until the school board decides on a path forward.

PACE Fundraising was officially hired on Jan. 13, 2023 at a cost of $139,440, and the district's contract with them expires after 12 months.