A Palmerton Area School District project highlighted by athletic stadium upgrades and a junior high addition will cost just over $13 million.

The school board on Tuesday unanimously approved awarding four contracts, including general construction, to Penn Builders Inc. ($8,669,350); plumbing construction to Myco Mechanical Inc. ($963,900); heating, ventilation and air conditioning construction to JBM Mechanical Inc. ($2,384,100) and electrical construction to George J. Hayden ($993,600)."We think the district got a great deal because we budgeted $15.1 million and it came in around $13.1 million," said Tim Sisock, project manager with Barry Isett and Associates.Work includes upgrading the existing athletic stadium to a synthetic turf field, adding an eight-lane synthetic track, bleachers, earthwork, utility improvements and the installation of underground detention systems.A softball field will be added adjacent to a 13,000-square-foot addition to the junior high school. The addition includes classrooms, cafeteria, kitchen, administration offices and technology center.When the addition is complete, contractors will go to work on renovations to the existing junior high building. The upgrades include new air-conditioning systems, HVAC and electrical equipment replacements, floor and ceiling replacement and lighting improvements.The key component to the project is the timeline.It cost the district just $15,000 on top of the base bid to fast track the stadium upgrades with a May 1 start date and Aug. 25 completion date in time for the first home football game on Sept. 8."We still need some things to happen for that timeline to take place," Sisock said. "The contract agreements need to be completed by the solicitor and then the plans have to be recorded. The plans have been submitted to the township, and after a third-party inspector does a review, the contractor can get the building permit and start."Should something happen that the fast-track timeline is no longer a possibility, the district would be credited back its $15,000."I'm going to have some discussions with our athletic director tonight in terms of how starting on May 1 impacts our athletic teams," Superintendent Scot Engler said. "We have tentative plans that just need to be finalized. Lehighton has indicated they would be willing to share their facility for what we need."Penn Builders Inc. has told the district it would be using Semmel Excavating Inc. as the subcontractor on the field work."We have worked with them before and we feel they are qualified and can do a good job in this quick time frame," Sisock said.At a workshop last month, Sisock said the goal is also for work to start around May 1 on the junior high addition and softball field. Renovations to the existing junior high would begin around June 11, 2018, with both projects completed around Aug. 17, 2018.