Bang, crash, boom: State High construction to continue through the summer

Let the bang begin —

— Or continue, rather.

Construction will be ongoing this summer for the State High building project — which was started last summer, and lasted through the school year.

A report from the district said the project is “on schedule.”

Construction crews will work on foundation and masonry work on four classroom units on the south side of the South Building.

According to a report, “Unit B’s ground floor walls are developing to the point (Massaro Construction Management Services) expects to begin installing structural steel for flooring by mid-July.”

The South Building campus will be closed through the summer as asbestos abatement crews prepare part of the property for demolition in July, according to the school district.

But an alternative hallway to the building’s upper section will be built before school resumes.

“We’re geared up and ready to make a lot of progress during the summer to take advantage of students and faculty not being on the site every day,” project manager Tim Jones said in a prepared statement. “When people come back this fall, the lower South is really going to be the auditorium, cafeteria, technology education and the gym.”

The high school track will be closed until June 28 while a retaining wall is constructed.

A report from the district said the retaining wall will be made to expand the South Building rear parking lot.

Access to the lot from O’Bryan Lane will also be limited or closed during the summer.

District administration is telling people who plan to use the track once it’s reopened to park in the North Building parking lot and use the walkway near Welch Community Pool to access the facility.

Crew are also working on building a storm water retention pond where the driver’s education course was held, and digging ditches for storm water runoff pipes.

A data center created from athletic rooms in the back of the North Building should be completed by the time students return, a report from the district said.

This story was originally published June 19, 2016 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Bang, crash, boom: State High construction to continue through the summer."