More than $1.5 million in renovations are underway at Riverland Community College — all contracted to local companies.

Sections of the West Building’s roof — 96,600 square feet — are being repaired and replaced for $900,000. The work is scheduled to be completed before Thanksgiving, according to general manager of Allweather Roof Ken Sorensen.

“This is a great boost for us,” Sorensen said of the contract.

Allweather Roof’s corporate office is in Minneapolis; the Austin office has its own operations, staff and crews.

“This is a such a large benefit to our company, and most importantly it is keeping our guys in Austin working,” he said.

“This is one of our biggest projects this year,” Sorensen added.

Riverland is also spending $660,000 to replace the majority of its doors and windows in the East Building — some of which are original, circa 1960s and 70s. This work began a few weeks ago and should be completed this winter, said Riverland’s vice president of finance and facilities Beth Fondell.

J.D. Driver, Ltd. of Rose Creek was awarded the window and doors project.

The roofing project is funded by Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) funds, which are capital bonding appropriations, or money designated by the state to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, earmarked for repair and replacement projects.

Riverland received $550,000 of HEAPR money for the windows and doors project, and had to chip in the rest — $110,000.

“In spite of that, it is most cost efficient to replace them now,” Fondell said.

“We will have very significant energy savings with the new windows and doors, so it is more than worthwhile,” she added.

Riverland is currently reviewing bids to remodel and update restrooms in the theater area of the west wing. Bids from all over the state came in Tuesday, Fondell said.

It is too early to tell whether that project will also go to a local company, since bids are just beginning to be reviewed.

“We hope to have made a selection and get things started in the next month or so,” Fondell said.