DANVILLE — The Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees awarded several contracts Tuesday to launch Phase 1 of the Mary Miller Center expansion project.

The cost of the 6,200-square-foot expansion and renovation of existing space at the center will be offset by a $5.2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

“We are very pleased for this project to begin on campus,” said Vickie Miller, board chairman. “It’s an exciting time.”

The low bids for various aspects of the project include: $1.223 million from Johnco Construction of Mackinaw, who will be the general contractor; $192,333 from Venture Mechanical of Danville, who will be the plumbing contractor; $295,000 from Triple A Electric from Terre Haute, Ind., who will be the electrical contractor; $756,000 from A&R Mechanical in Urbana, who will be the mechanical contractor; and $10,500 from Midwest Service Group of St. Peters, Mo., who remove asbestos.

“This will complete Phase 1 and Alternate 1 of the project,” DACC President Alice Marie Jacobs told the board.

Trustee Dick Cheney said he was “pleased the bids came in under estimates.”

The project will create much-needed space for DACC’s health professions and nursing programs as well as other programs. Construction is expected to begin on the north addition next month or July.

The project, which will be divided into two phases, will take 18 months to two years to complete.

The first phase will entail an addition being constructed on the north side of the center, where new locker rooms and a multipurpose room will be added.

The new multipurpose room, which will be located in the northwest corner, can be used for instructional space as well.

The second phase will be an addition to the southwest corner of the center where two more classrooms will be added.

Each of the existing locker rooms also will be renovated into two classrooms and an office space. Those new classrooms will be used by DACC’s health professions and nursing programs, as well as the math and science and engineering programs.

The project will net an additional 3,900 to 4,000 square feet in new classroom space.

The remaining 2,200 square feet of new space will include the multipurpose room and new locker rooms.

As part of the renovations, the facility’s heating and cooling system also will be updated to use green technology, such as geothermal and solar equipment to heat and cool the building.

In other business, the board:

--Went into closed session to discuss salary schedules for one or more classes of employees and to discuss collective negotiating matters.

Miller said the board would not re-enter into open session.

--Learned about a project to repave the main entrance drive.

DACC’s Capital Development Board awarded a $132,900 contract for the paving project to the lowest bidder, Open Road Paving of Urbana.

Jacobs told the board that the main entrance drive was scheduled to be paved in the fall of 2004, “but at the last minute the funds were withdrawn by the state.”

This time, capital renewal dollars have been released to make the project a reality.

“I’m looking forward to our front entrance drive looking nice again,” she said.

Mike Cunningham, director of administrative services at DACC, said the project does include adding the speed bumps back.

Seven years ago, the cost of the project was estimated at $149,000.

--Approved the low bids of $131,551 from WRM America of Uniondale, N.Y., for property/liability insurance and $104,121 from Zenith Insurance Co. of Springfield for workers’ compensation insurance.

--Approved the Fiscal Year 2012 capital equipment list that includes $791,000 in new equipment to be ordered and delivered by July 1.

The funding for the new equipment is being made possible by $383,000 in 1994 referendum funds; $108,00 in grant and special revenue funds; $14,000 from auxiliary operations, such as the book store and child development center; and $256,000 from the remaining balances in the 2010 $500,000 technology/equipment bonds and up to $30,000 of capital equipment reserves.

“We had to defer about $75,000 in requests,” Jacobs said.

Despite the lack of state funding, Miller said the college still makes technology a priority.

“We no longer have technology dollars from the state,” Miller said. “Technology is very important to students and staff, and we want to be up-to-date in what we have to offer.”

--Learned that the amount of student financial aid from the state for the 2009-2010 school year was lower than the amount the state awarded to DACC students the year before.

In the 2008-2009, DACC students received $573,369 in state financial aid compared to $481,612 this year.

Trustee David Harby said, “With enrollment up, there should be more students getting grants, not fewer.”