COSTA MESA — The school district is moving forward with two long-awaited construction projects at Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar high schools, with the expectation that state approval will finally come this month.
The Newport-Mesa Unified school board approved on Tuesday night the advertising of construction bids for new theaters and mini-campuses, called enclaves, for the seventh- and eighth-grade students on the two grade 7-12 campuses.
The agenda item also allows Deputy Supt. Paul Reed to award the contract to the lowest qualified bidder.
The district will begin advertising for the bids once it receives the green light from the Division of the State Architect. Plans were submitted in late July and approval was initially expected before the new year.
Approval is now anticipated to come this month, Reed said.
Once construction begins, it is expected to take up to 30 months to complete.
The plans for the 350-plus seat theaters calls for a box office, lobby area, concessions, a control room and custodial area.
