August 16, 2021 at 11:03 a.m.
School committee hears update on Crescent project
Some exterior bricklaying will occur after school starts
School committee hears update on Crescent project
Lonnie Dunbar of Greenfire, the company managing the project, said the delays are related to the outside work. The interior work is progressing as scheduled, he added.
"Everything is tracking on schedule. The only hiccup we've had is we're having a hard time getting our face brick, which means we will be installing the face brick during school. We do have provisions in place where we'll keep everyone safe," he noted.
The project involves expanding and modernizing the office space. adding four classrooms on the south end of the building and a second gymnasium, as well as more parking and extra storage space on the north end of the building.
The demand for the bricks is higher than normal at this time, Dunbar explained.
"And it's five different bricks in order to make that pattern to make that color," he said.
He said he called the plant to enquire as to when the bricks would be arriving on the job site, and was told it would be "right around Labor Day."
"My mason, who has a much more intimate relationship with the supplier - County (Materials Corporation) - they are saying the week of the 23rd of August," Dunbar said. "Either way, we're delayed. Unfortunately, we're still going to be laying some of that brick during the course of the school year. That's where we're at at this point."
He said the doors students and parents use for dropping off and picking up will remain accessible, but with chain-link fencing to separate the path to and from the door from the work being done.
The interior of the south end of the project is nearing completion, he added.
"Right now we're finishing the floor coverings in there, the ceilings are already complete, the casework has been installed," Dunbar said. "The next couple days we'll be putting up the smart boards as well as the marker boards and the tack boards."
In the office area, he said the ceilings have been installed with carpeting projected to be completed soon.
Plumbing finishes are almost complete in the classrooms and in the office area," Dunbar said. "We'll also obviously being installing the bathroom accessories, that will happen toward the end of the week, as well."
"The last thing we will have to install will be the doors, but they are coming next week Tuesday and they are real simple doors (to install)," he added.
Although the work was designed as one project, the two components were bid out separately due to changes to the gym work which necessitated a delay to redraw the plans. This has allowed the work this summer to be concentrated on the classroom half of the project.
Now the work can begin on the second gym in earnest.
"We finished the 12" fire wall that divides the existing gym from the new gym and makes the south side of the corridor between the two," Dunbar said.
The next step is to get the excavating contractor to get the gym foundations dug and in place. Concrete for the foundations is scheduled to be poured early this week, he noted.
At the same time, some trees on the north end of the school property will be removed to make room for a new parking lot outside the new gym.
"We'll obviously get some gravel laid in there which will be our sub-base for the asphalt," Dunbar said. "We'll go ahead and get that in there because once school starts, we're going to be a little short on parking."
He noted the new blacktop will be going in this week and the sidewalks on the south end of the building are already completed. He also said the normal flow of buses in the morning and afternoon will not be impacted by the masonry work.
Jamie Taylor may be reached via email at [email protected].
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