Contractor to be appointed to Tullamore College project by April earliest

The latest expectations are that a contractor will be appointed to the Tullamore College school building project by next April at the earliest.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week a spokesperson for the Department of Education explained that an original tender date of February 7 for the project was extended to February 11.

“Laois/Offaly ETB, in consultation with their design team, need to assess the tenders to determine the number of valid tenderers received and the apparently successful tenderer,” the spokesperson said.

“Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that a contractor will be appointed in the second quarter of 2014.”

The new Tullamore College is to be built almost 13 years after the school was damaged by fire and the project’s total cost is estimated to be €470m.

The new school building planned for the corner of O’Carroll Street and Riverside will include 14 general classrooms, two social studies rooms, three science labs, a demonstration room, two art rooms, two home economics rooms, two business and computing rooms, two technical graphics/CAD rooms, two construction studies rooms, two engineering rooms, a guidance suite, a library and a gym as well as pastoral offices, a staff room and a first aid room.

The building that will stretch to more than 7,000 square metres will take some 18 months to complete, and will have the capacity for 585 students.

Current students will continue classes in the current school building while construction on the new building is ongoing, and that building will then be demolished to make space for basketball and tennis courts.