PRINCETON - The architect for North Gibson School Corp.'s new high school expects high interest in the $32 million project.

NGSC trustees approved final bid specifications and drawings for the building, to be constructed on adjoining property northeast of the existing campus, Monday night.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled with prospective bidders Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. in the high school auditorium. VPS architect George Link said he plans to have 100 sets of plans containing about 300 drawings each ready for check-out by potential bidders.

"It's a good time to bid it right now," said Link, who explained contractors are looking for work to fill up their next calendar year, and there aren't many projects of the school's magnitude out there at the moment.

School trustees will open bids at 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at the high school auditorium and accept bids Dec. 7, then close on sale of bonds to finance the project Dec. 9.

Link said the "substantial completion" target is April 1, 2012.

The bid packages include ground stabilization work involving lime or cement for road beds and building pads. The connector road from the rest of the campus (Brumfield and the existing high school) will be extended from the west to the building site and the construction will proceed from west to east, Link reported.

The bids will be awarded in about a dozen different contractor packages to allow for more competition, Link said. Those include general construction, heating ventilation and air conditioning, fire safety, roofing, windows, casework, theater lighting and rigging, etc.

In addition to the base construction bid, the school trustees will consider as many as 16 alternate bids that could be awarded if the price is right.

Those include an industrial technology wing on the east side of the building, extra classrooms, increased gym seating from 3,800 to 4,800, an auxiliary gym, 400 extra parking spaces, sidewalks connecting the new campus to the existing athletic fields, heating and cooling sensors that would adjust climate when rooms are in use, geothermal heating and cooling, metal roofing, epoxy terrazzo flooring in public spaces and a glass rail system for the upper level of the gym.

Contractors will have to show prior work records and provide financial records to show they can do the work.

The board hasn't yet discussed renovations to the existing high school to convert it to a grades 3-5 and 6-8 attendance center, or work to expand Brumfield to a K-2 facility.

Eventually, when all of the work is done, Lowell South Elementary and Princeton Community Middle School buildings would not be used for instruction.