It is hard to believe it has been one year since we broke ground on our new middle school/high school building. The progress has been amazing considering that in March the state of Ohio was placed under a pandemic warning, and all Ohioans were ordered to stay at home.
After a very rainy April and May of 2019, (remember many fields were not planted because of the wet conditions), the project got off the ground about 20 days late. We had to stabilize the ground before we could dig the footers. It took several months of 9 hour days and working Saturdays to catch up. The construction plan was to start at the west side of the building which contains the gym. The gym was completed first as it has been a storage area to keep materials dry.
The project was helped by above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. All segments of the project were moving along, and the project was on schedule by the end of February. By the end of March, the entire project had all roofs on and the project was considered dried in. With the roofs on and the window openings sealed, the building could start to dry out and the skilled trade workers could continue their work knowing that the weather was not an issue.
The pandemic has caused delays in receiving materials and products. The ductwork has been late in arriving. However, with some clever planning, the project has continued, but it has cost us some days. We are about 30 days behind as of May 19, 2020. All aspects of the projects are a full go as there are painters, floor workers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, glass installers, framers, HVAC installers, and laborers working. Soon, the excavators will be on-site to begin building parking lots and driveways. We hope that in the next few weeks we can move the project closer to on time.
Last week, we began building new ball fields and renovating the playground at the elementary. Those projects should be done mid-August and ready for the next school year. All in all, it has been a very big year with much progress. With good health and no delays in materials, we are looking at a very exciting year ahead.