Board selects Wright Brothers as design‑builder for ViewView elementary gym

The Emmett Independent District board voted to proceed with Wright Brothers Construction as the design‑builder for a new elementary gym at ViewView, using funds allocated through the district’s HB 521 prioritization account.

District staff outlined four shortlisted design‑build teams and explained that the chosen design‑build approach uses a single contractor to both design and build the gym; trustees discussed tradeoffs compared with a design‑bid‑build procurement, timing, and the advantages of local subcontractor participation. A staff member noted roughly $3.5 million has been set aside for the project from the HB 521 allocation and described the design‑build process (preliminary sketches, engineered design and a fixed-price agreement). "They're gonna design it. They're gonna show it to you and say we can build this to you for 3,300,000 and you make a decision or you say, nope," a district presenter explained.

Trustees praised prior local projects and Wright Brothers’ recent work on district HVAC and turf installations; one trustee moved to proceed with Wright Brothers as the design‑builder, the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. Trustees asked staff to return with preliminary renderings and traffic/placement studies as the design advances.