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JOHNSTOWN - A Broome County engineering firm was selected by the Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education Thursday night to design the district's new bus garage.

The board selected Bearsch Compeau Knudson Architects & Engineers of Binghamton at its regular meeting at Johnstown High School. The decision was made following a 90-minute Facilities Committee workshop during which that firm and two others presented proposals.

Superintendent Katherine Sullivan will now draw up a contract for the district to work with the Binghamton firm.

"We enjoyed their presentation the most," board President Robert Curtis said of Bearsch Compeau Knudson Architects & Engineers.

Engineer John S. Knudson and Eric Tomosky from the firm gave a fast-paced presentation featuring aerial photographs.

Interim Business Manager Ralph Acquaro said the firm will be receiving a percentage of the construction costs for the project, which still must go up for a referendum before district voters.

The bus garage will be built on district land near the high school. The board voted Oct. 1 to build the new bus garage. Hard construction costs for the new facility are expected to be about $576,000. With design and other costs, the total cost may rise to $1.5 million. The garage may be built on property behind the student parking lot on Wright Drive, more than 100 yards from the nearest residential area - Abel Drive - which has about 20 homes.

Acquaro has said the "lion's share" of the project would be funded by state aid. He said the rest of the cost will be covered by a capital reserve set up by the district last year. There will be little or no impact on local taxpayers, he said.

Knudson told board members has firm has already met with district officials.

"We kind of met with the administration and walked a couple sites," he said.

Tomosky said the firm has already developed a timeline in which construction of the bus garage would go before district voters Feb. 2. He said the facility could be occupied by September 2011.

"We think the schedule is achievable," he said.

Tomosky said there are two potential options for the site of the project. One would be an "inner campus" site next to the JHS tennis courts that includes: transportation director's office, driver's room, restrooms, service bay, bus wash, parts storage, parking for 22 buses, outdoor bus parking with engine block heaters, parking for 27 driver and staff cars and a landscaped site screened from neighbors' view.

Another "mid-campus" option would be further away from JHS and Warren Street Elementary School and include the same elements.

"We really take a hands-on approach as far as our pre-referendum services," Knudson said.

He said his firm also offers "enhanced financial services" during the construction phase -maintaining of a real-time "fund summary" so the district can accurately calculate how much it has spent on the project as it moves along.

Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com