Teachers and students will arrive at Westlake Academy on August 17 to brand-new modular buildings.
The aging, portable buildings on campus have been replaced sooner than expected since the project will finish ahead of schedule on August 6.
Speaking at a Westlake City Council meeting on July 31, Jed Theis, the chief operating officer of Brodie Modular, added that the landscaping and concrete work outside the buildings would be complete by August 7.
“We’re very confident that when the school kids are running around, they won’t show up and it’ll be a mound of dirt around [the modulars],” Theis said, according to Community Impact. “They’ll show up and it will be complete.”
Brodie Modular is an Austin-based design company specializing in efficient, sustainable construction by prebuilding a structure in sections — “mods” — that are then transported to the desired location and assembled. The exteriors of the mods are made of special, long-lasting materials like ricewood.
This accelerated workflow process has led to the early delivery of Westlake Academy’s modular buildings.
“We’re really excited about how quickly this [project] has come together,” Theis told the Westlake City Council.
The portables being replaced have been the source of many complaints from teachers and students.
Council Member David Quint read an email from a teacher talking about their experience working in the portables at a meeting in February.
“I’ve had to endure the smell of a dead rodent for over two months. When the air conditioner comes on, my wall vibrates, making empty chairs and desks vibrate. Everyone is aware of the safety risks from weather or the unthinkable. Also, it is hard to entice a new teacher to come to Westlake Academy and work in a portable,” the email read, according to Community Impact.
Health and safety concerns over the deteriorating condition of the buildings — built between 2011 and 2013 — had been under discussion for years.
Yet the city’s tasking of Brodie Modular to replace the facilities was subject to some controversy.
In February, Mike Colby, Westlake inhabitant and the CEO of Brodie Modular, had promised to replace the portables for an even $3.5 million by August, according to Community Impact.
Two other companies, RamTech and Mobile Modular, had been considered for the project, with the former submitting a bid of $2.9 million and the latter submitting no bid by the deadline.
Westlake Council Member Chandrika Dasgupta took issue with the fact that the usual bidding process had not been followed.
“Any public contract above $50,000 has to be publicly bid. Why are we even considering offering a contract to a one-year-old company with no experience in any public buildings without a competitive bidding process?” Dasgupta questioned, according to Community Impact. “Isn’t this against the law?”
Ultimately the dilapidated condition of the portables allowed for an exemption to be made in this case, according to the city’s lawyer Staton Lowry.
The new modular buildings will see a massive upgrade in terms of comfort and technology.
Colby explained to the council in February that the facilities spanning 12,500 square feet will house 12-14 classrooms, each designed to comfortably accommodate 25 students.
Moreover, each building will include charging stations and Wi-Fi access points.
