The School Administrative District 75 board of directors unanimously approved the design of a $60.7 million high school construction project.

The state will be funding most of the project, to the tune of $53 million.

Kathy Kahill of PDT Architects said the district has already applied to the state Department of Environmental Protection for permitting and to the Topsham Planning Board for approval — both expected by January 2018.

The drawings will go out to bid by the end of March 2018. Construction will start in May 2018 and finish by August 2020. The existing school is slated to be demolished in June 2020. Then construction on the new athletic fields will start and finished in summer 2021.

The new high school will be built where the existing track is and the new track where the existing school is, Kahill said. There will be a new multi-purpose field on the campus across from Wicked Joe Coffee, and next to the middle school there is a baseball and practice field under construction that will be completed by mid-November. These fields can then be used when construction begins on the new school.

Building Committee Chairman John Hodge said it is still unknown where the football games will be held during the construction.

The only varsity sport that will be ready for play on the fields is baseball, but other sports may be able to use the fields as well.

The Building Committee and PDT have also refined some of the traffic patterns at the new school. There will be a separate parent drop-off loop and bus loop. There will also be staff parking and a separate parking lot area for students. The plans also include an additional 84 parking spaces across from the main building near the athletic field.

“We’ll be maintaining as many trees as possible,” Kahill said.

The school board also voted to hire Rist- Frost-Shumway Engineering of Laconia, New Hampshire, as the commissioning agent for the project for an initial cost of $192,740. Business Manager Mark Conrad said the commissioning is a process that ensures the building systems are installed and function as they’re designed to — an important part of the overall quality of the building.

The Building Committee directed PDT to design a 100- year building, Kahill said, so the firm has looked at brick and durable materials.

There will be a lot of natural light within the interior, including in the dining commons, which Kahill said will likely serve as a hub.

She said PDT has also worked to make sure the main spaces and hallways are warm and welcoming by using wood paneling and ceilings, and plenty of display case space for school trophies and awards.

Time line

• THE DRAWINGS will go out to bid by the end of March 2018. Construction will start in May 2018 and finish by August 2020. The existing school is slated to be demolished in June 2020.

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