The Herald-News - News Story

Finding an architect is pivotal in making a building a reality, and on Monday, the Rhea County School Board tentatively narrowed its architect search for the construction of the new county high school.

Five architectural firms - Community Tectonics, Cope and Associates, Lewis Group, Upland Design and Michael Brady Inc. - interviewed with the board on Friday and Monday. After deliberating for some time, the board reached a decision to consider Michael Brady Inc. as its top pick.

Michael Brady Inc. is based in Knoxville and was founded in 1990 by CEO Michael Brady. The firm employs over 80 people and is licensed in all 50 states.

Brady told the board on Monday that designs for the new high school could be ready by June 1, and construction could begin as early as July. The school board's goal for completion of the project is fall of 2011.

"The schedule is reasonable, but aggressive," Brady said.

In light of the firm's comment, the board discussed the implications of proceeding with an "aggressive" schedule, which might necessitate paying more money upfront.

Even so, with the state of today's economy, biting the bullet now to complete the project faster may be worth it, according to board member Bimbo McCawley.

"I'll spend a dollar today to save $10 next week," said McCawley.

After the interviews, the board evaluated each firm's strengths and weaknesses, finally making a motion to recommend Michael Brady Inc. to the Rhea County Commission at its workshop Feb. 8. If, however, reference checks on the firm come back negatively, the board may decide to recommend its second choice, Lewis Group, also a Knoxville-based company.

"There's not one of them that couldn't do it," said board member Chip Pendergrass.

Director of Schools Jerry Levengood said on Tuesday that even though the board voted to go with Michael Brady Inc., the choice is liable to change.

"To me, there's a lot of uncertainty right now," Levengood said.

Levengood proposed the new Rhea County High School to the county commission on Dec. 8, a move that will help alleviate overcrowding at the current high school. The new school would be built to accommodate 2,000 students.

Plans to later convert the current high school to a county middle school will ease overcrowding predominantly at Rhea Central Elementary.

The school board is estimating that the cost to build the new high school will be approximately $30 million, all of which would come from the county.

Michelle Friesen can be reached at michelle.friesen@rheaheraldnews.com.