January 6, 2026

Port Angeles seeks GC/CM for $132M high school rebuild

Photo via Port Angeles School District [enlarge]

Crews poured the slab last month for the Stevens Middle School rebuild, funded by the district’s 2020 levy.

The Port Angeles School District is seeking a general contractor/construction manager to rebuild Port Angeles High School on its existing 40-acre campus at 304 E. Park Ave.

The GC/CM will construct a new 136,000-square-foot building with classrooms, administration offices, music spaces, a library, a commons and instructional support spaces. The project also includes modernizing and making seismic upgrades to the school's 21,000-square-foot performing arts center that hosts district and community productions and events. The GC/CM will also demolish roughly 122,000 square feet of old buildings.

A notice of the district's request for qualifications ran in Monday's DJC. Statements of qualifications are due by 4 p.m. on Feb. 9. The district plans shortlist notifications Feb. 17 and expects school board approval of its selected GC/CM on April 23.

Image via Port Angeles School District [enlarge]

The new facility is slated for the footprint shown within the dotted lines at right. The auditorium to be updated is shown at center.

The project has an estimated maximum allowable construction cost of $132.4 million, not including state sales tax. Integrus is the architect and Vanir Construction Management is serving as the district's project manager.

The district wants construction of the new facility to start in September of 2027, with substantial completion and punchlist items done in June and July of 2029. The auditorium renovations are slated for July of 2027 through March of 2029, with demo work scheduled to run from June of 2029 to the following January.

Port Angeles High School was originally built in 1953, with its most recent significant upgrades made in the 1970s. The district said the building is beyond its usable life and has security issues stemming from being spread over 13 buildings with 147 exterior doors. The new school building will have a modern, single point-of-entry.

The project is being funded by a $140 million capitol bond passed in November of 2024, with additional funding from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The district plans to update the high school's gym and Career and Technology Education facilities in a future bond.

Also included in the 2024 bond is a $43 million replacement of Franklin Elementary School at 2505 S. Washington St. That school was built in 1954 and the district says it would cost more to renovate than replace.

The Stevens Middle School rebuild, funded by the district's 2020 capital levy, broke ground in April. Integrus is architect and FORMA is GC/CM on that project, which includes replacing the school with a three-story building, as well as a significant modernization of its gym. That project was the district's first using the GC/CM method.