Advertising for bids has been approved for construction of the $73.6 million Northampton Area School District Route 329 elementary school and education center project.

The NASD Board of Education voted 8-1 at its Aug. 14 meeting to approve the advertising Aug. 22 and 28 and Sept. 5 for bids for the school complex to be built on the approximate 90-acre school district-owned land at Route 329 and Seemsville Road, East Allen Township.

Voting to advertise for bids were school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, Chuck Frantz, David Gogel, Ross Makary, Robert Mentzell, Doug Vaughn, President James Chuss and Vice President John Becker. Voting against the advertising for bids was Director Kim Bretzik.

Also concerning the Route 329 project, the school board voted 7-2 to authorize a sanitary sewer collection agreement between NASD and East Allen Township. Voting for the sewer collection agreement were Baird, Frantz, Gogel, Makary, Mentzell, Chuss and Becker. Voting against the sewer agreement were Bretzik and Vaughn.

Before the votes on advertising the bids and the sewer collection agreement, a motion to table the two agenda items was defeated. Bretzik made the motion, seconded by Vaughn, to table the items. The board voted 7-2 against tabling until the Sept. 11 meeting.

In a nonbinding poll, board members unanimously approved for Moore Elementary School to stay open as a district school and to determine building renovation costs. The poll was taken at the request of Bretzik.

“We’ve avoided making a decision on Moore for as long as we can. It may be time to consider keeping Moore open,” Chuss said before the poll.

After the poll, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik said the administration and board needed some kind of direction in reference to Moore.

“I think we should have a facilities meeting and put some parameters together and come to the board,” said Arif Fazil, D’Huy Engineering Inc. president and district consulting engineer in charge of the Route 329 project. “Perhaps you finish the new school and have students attend the new school and then renovate Moore.”

Fazil and Jay Clough, KCBA Architects principal, presented a 29-page update on the Route 329 project that included slide projections of architecture renderings, blueprints and timetable during the nearly three-hour school board meeting in the Northampton Area High School auditorium.

The Route 329 project schedule includes:

• Pre-bid meeting with contractors: Sept. 8

• Receive the bid proposals: Oct. 26

• Project leadership team reviews bids: Nov. 2

• Recommendation to school board: Nov. 7

• School director approval of bids at meeting: Nov. 13

• Award contracts: Nov. 29

• Site work: Nov. 30 through March 29, 2024

• Building construction: Feb. 26, 2024, through March 16, 2026

Fazil outlined the Route 329 project land development and permit progress:

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit received.

• Intermunicipal sewer agreements between East Allen and Allen townships, East Allen Township and Northampton Borough and Allen Township and Northampton Borough achieved.

• Sewer module submission to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection made June 29.

• Sewer agreement between East Allen Township and NASD is on the agenda.

• Water service provided by Bethlehem Water Authority approved.

• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway occupancy permit under final review.

• East Allen board of supervisors conditional preliminary approval received July 27.

• Final DEP sewer module approval under review.

• East Allen final land development approval, pending sewer module, to be submitted.

• Building permit under review.

Fazil said the Route 329 site has $11 million in infrastructure improvements made by entities other than NASD, including the Route 329/Seemsville Road intersection, traffic light, Route 329/Weaversville Road intersection and utilities, stormwater management and access points to Route 329 district property.

Clough reviewed site and building diagrams, noting separate bus and vehicle entrances, parking for 200 vehicles, an 18-bus drop-off, additional 70 parking spaces for events, emergency vehicle access and separate drop-off for Y-Care.

Clough presented first-, second- and third-floor plans for the elementary school and education center.

The first floor includes third- and fourth-grade classrooms, cafeteria and secure courtyard. The second floor includes administration, kindergarten, first- and second-grade classrooms, music room and gymnasium. The third floor includes education center, multiuse room, literacy center, STEAM facility, art room and fifth-grade classrooms.

Clough showed artist renderings of views of the campus from Route 329 and Seemsville Road; elementary school main and student entrances; education center entrance, proposed play area, typical classroom, literacy center, cafeteria, gymnasium and multipurpose room.

The board of education next meets 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11 in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.