Connellsville high school renovation project on schedule
Renovations at Connellsville Area High School are on schedules and progressing both inside and outside the building.
Crews are installing a new utility tunnel that will carry heating, plumbing and electrical service from the boiler room to other areas of the building.
According to John Pappas, project manager and vice president of Eckles Construction Services Inc. all but a few of the building's classrooms will be open to teachers and students when school opens in the fall.
Renovations at Connellsville Area High School are on schedules and progressing both inside and outside the building.
Renovations at Connellsville Area High School move forward both inside and outside the building.
Renovations at Connellsville Area High School are on schedules and progressing both inside and outside the building.
John Pappas, project manager and vice president of Eckles Construction Services Inc. points out the barrier walls that have been installed in the school to separate construction areas from areas of the building that are still open to foot traffic.
CONNELLSVILLE 鈥� Construction work continued Friday at the Connellsville Area High School as the first day of the 2011/2012 school year approaches.
Despite the piles of dirt and stone, multiple types of heavy equipment and deep cuts into what was a parking lot, John Pappas, Eckles Construction Services Inc. vice-president and project manager, said work is proceeding on schedule.
鈥淓verything is moving along,鈥� he said.
The focus on Friday was to complete an underground utility tunnel that stretches along the rear of the high school parking lot. The tunnel provides an alternative to removing terrazzo flooring and interior walls to take out the antiquated heating and plumbing utility lines, said Pappas.
鈥淭he old lines are still needed to operate the equipment until it is replaced,鈥� said Pappas. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 enough room for the new lines, so it was decided the tunnel would be a good option.鈥�
While there are no buses or vehicles at the site, stormwater lines are being installed, a roadway is being lowered to accommodate a new addition to the building, gas and water lines are being relocated, abatement of asbestos and electrical, telephone and fiber optic lines are being upgraded. A temporary cooling system is also being installed.
The nearly $41 million project began at the end of May and will continue until August 2013.
In addition to the renovation of the entire building, a new auxiliary gymnasium will be built, parking lots will be reconfigured and the swimming pool will be upgraded to allow for a diving program.
A larger project was bid last year. However, the nearly $63 million price tag was nixed and architects advised to return to the drawing board and offer a less costly project.
Pappas said that with the exception of a rumor earlier in the week that a portion of the building collapsed, there have been no problems associated with the project.
Pappas speculated that a passerby saw a front entrance canopy being removed and believed a second story section fell to the ground which led to the false information circulating the area.
鈥淭here were several telephone calls about it, but nothing happened,鈥� he said.
Over the next month, work will continue to replace a roadway used by buses to transport students and the cleanup of the interior of the building that will be used when classes begin.
While many of the classrooms will be without tile flooring and hallways without ceiling tiles, the bulk of the building will be intact.
鈥淭he students will find their classrooms in the same place,鈥� said Pappas.
Certain construction areas will be partitioned for safety purposes. For instance, students will have to travel a longer route to access the cafeteria because of work being done nearby.
Pappas said that work will continue while students are in the building.
鈥淭he pace will continue as we get ready to bring the ninth-grade students here next year,鈥� he said.