A former Picayune Municipal Separate School District board member came before the board to ask about the status of a proposed multi-purpose metal building at Nicholson Elementary School.

Reese Moody told the school board he believed the steel building frame for such a structure 60 feet wide and 120 feet long could be built for $90,000 or less.

That's if the district would supply slab on which a metal building could be constructed, however.

He also said the board had $100,000 specifically set aside for such a metal building and that the board approved construction of a multi-purpose facility at Nicholson while he was on the board.

Assistant Superintendent Brent Harrell said the board’s minutes did not show a vote on constructing the steel building.

He did say, though, that the district did have $100,000 set aside in its budget for a building of that nature.

“When Chevron gave us a grant to outfit a computer lab, we found we already had the money set aside for the lab. The board asked to transfer the money to the maintenance budget for the building,” Harrell said.

As the board continued its discussions of the potential steel building, the chairman said the board had voted to include construction of such buildings at Nicholson, West Side and Roseland Park in the district’s five-year plan.

All three of those schools need multi-purpose steel buildings of this nature in order to fit their shifting needs, he agreed.

During the discussion, the board asked architect David Landry about the cost estimate for the general steel building.

Landry and Lewis in Hattiesburg said his firm had been involved in the construction of several multi-purpose buildings in Lamar County of about 78,000 square feet and that they generally cost $1.2 to $1.4 million each when completed and equipped.

However, he agreed to review any plans for the shell of such a commercial metal building that Moody might supply the district.

During discussions, the board also mentioned that a survey of the campus had been completed and that the campus included more land than the board previously believed.

The board later approved putting out for bid a re-roofing project at the district’s central offices, the plans and drawings for which Landry had brought with him to present to the board.