Mosser Construction chosen for Sandusky Schools' $72M project

SANDUSKY — Sandusky Schools chose the final team member to continue work on its $72 million construction project.At Monday's public meeting, board members agreed to hire Mosser Construction of Fremont as the project's construction manager. The company is familiar with the district since it built an addition to Sandusky High School in the 1970s, superintendent Eugene Sanders said.Mosser Construction is also involved in the indoor sports facility under construction beside Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center on Cleveland Road (U.S. 6)., according to the company's website. The construction manager is responsible for bidding projects to gather interest from vendors, and working with the chosen businesses to complete construction.Sanders said Mosser Construction scored high on its proposed budget, timeline and ability to work with local businesses during its interview with district officials. Another plus is the company has its own masonry workers. Sandusky Schools said a lack of available masonry workers across Ohio delayed the project last summer. Sanders also commended Dennis Kaplan, a project manager with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, for helping Sandusky Schools transition between construction managers."We look forward to a great project and great buildings for students and families," Sanders said.Despite recent delays, district officials said Ontario Primary, for first and second-grades, and the intermediate school, for grades 3-6, will finish by August 2020. Hancock Academy, a school for district preschool and kindergarten students, should still open by 2022. In October, Sandusky Schools fired Gilbane-Ozanne from the project, citing the need for better pricing and more engagement with area vendors who want to contribute. It's not known if local vendors were unable or unwilling to work with Gilbane-Ozanne.In June, school officials announced the construction project deadlines would be pushed back due to multiple factors, including the lack of available masonry workers, rising costs of material, putting out late bids for the building projects, among other reasons.Mosser Construction bio• works as the construction manager/design-builder for the Cedar Point Sports Center Indoor Sports Facility• assembled Cedar Point's Gemini roller coaster in 1978• was the general contractor for building Bowling Green State University's Doyt Perry Stadium and recently involved with building projects at BGSU, University of Toledo and multiple Ohio school districts, including Fremont Schools' current construction project • lent its talents to major transportation, industrial, healthcare construction projects across Ohio Source: Mosser ConstructionReach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodIn this 2018 photo, a fence encircles the future site of the Sandusky Intermediate school off of Hayes Avenue next to the high school. Sandusky Schools hired Mosser Construction at Monday's board meeting as the construction manager, replacing Gilbane-Ozanne of Cleveland.