Indiana Schools Sprint to Complete Running Tracks

Challenge: Track Upgrades Needed Before Upcoming Meet

Athletics offer so many lessons for young people. Through sports, students around the world learn about accountability, discipline and the power of teamwork. Seeking to give their students opportunities to learn these lessons and grow from them, the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) and the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) joined forces to host two other schools for the blind and the visually impaired for a track meet. While the schools and the athletes were ready for this competition, their shared track was not.

The main track was aged and worn, requiring a total resurface. Additionally, the schools wanted to install a string track with specialized guide ropes attached to the lanes so blind and visually impaired runners can compete without needing human guides.

With the big track meet getting close at hand, it was unrealistic for the schools to put the project out for a hard bid. The construction procurement process would have taken far too long, and they needed a way to get their athletic facilities race-ready quickly.

Solution: Using Gordian’s Cooperative JOC, Schools Pass the Baton to Local Contractor

In order to maximize the dwindling time left to prepare the grounds for the track meet, ISBVI and ISD accessed a Gordian Cooperative Job Order Contract (JOC) via the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA). A construction procurement method in use for decades, JOC enables organizations to complete various projects with one contract, saving significant time. Cooperative JOC allows work to begin even faster, as the terms of the contract, including developing a Unit Price Book and awarding area contractors, are set by the master contract holder, in this case the IDOA.

ISBVI and ISD awarded the track renovations to Glenroy Construction Co., Inc., a contractor from the Indianapolis metro area. The firm brought eighty years of experience to the project, including dozens of successful projects in the education sector.

Result: Track Project Zooms to a Successful Finish

Glenroy began work on April 28, 2025, immediately mobilizing to complete the project in time for the September meet. The schools and the contractor coordinated closely on material selection and sequencing, ensuring the entire project team was in sync and running at the same speed.

Work on the existing track included milling asphalt and hauling away what could not be used, installing 2” of 19-millimeter hot mixed asphalt (HMA) binder and compact, installing 1.5” of 9.5-millimeter HMA surface and compact, and striping the lanes.

For the string track, the Glenroy team excavated the area, installed 5” of stone, profile and compact, and installed the same HMA binder and surface as the existing track. Finally, they installed cables provided by the schools for the runners to use during the competition.

The track resurfacing and string track installation, a $231,000 project, was completed on September 5, ahead of the tri-school meet. All involved describe the project as an unqualified success. Said ISBVI Maintenance Supervisor, Mark Costlow, “Working on this project with Gordian was seamless, professional and completed on-time.”

Runners at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) and the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) now have a safe, accessible, cutting-edge facility for years to come, enabling future multi-state events and ensuring students have the opportunity to participate in programs that help them grow as athletes and as human beings.

As one school representative said, “It truly was a collaborative effort to come together and produce this result. [The meet] was a great day, and the athletes, coaches and volunteers had a blast.”

The speed, collaboration and community impact demonstrated by this project earned the track renovations a 2025 Award of Merit in Job Order Contracting.