West View Elementary construction progressing

Progress is moving forward on the West View Elementary school construction project.

Mike Arnold, vice president of operations for SitelogIQ, the construction management and design firm overseeing the renovation of the nearly 100-year-old building, said they are making good progress and the building will be safe and ready for the first day of school on Aug. 23.

“All the materials are on site, which is always a good thing — the flooring, the ceiling material, the casework (the cabinets and the doors), which is coming on Monday. So, it’s just a matter of getting that put in place,” Arnold said at the Aug. 3 North Hills School Board meeting. “What the faculty and students are going to see are some finished classrooms, a foreshadowing of how the entire building is going to look.”

Arnold said a brand new HVAC system is in place along with new energy-efficient windows, new flooring and new bathroom tile and fixtures. Overall, the construction is about 25% done, he said.

Board president Allison Mathis said she was very pleased with the status of the project.

“I’m very optimistic and I trust SitelogIQ that the school is going to be in great shape for the students on Aug. 23,” Mathis said. “I think it’s all coming along very well so we’re really excited about the construction project and what that building is going to do for the community and the school.”

However, Arnold did mention running into a few hiccups.

“When you’re dealing with a 100-year-old building, you are uncovering a lot of things. What we found was the construction behind the walls was not as it was shown on the drawings from the previous renovation,” Arnold said. “So, the attachments, the anchors, none of that was done as per the drawings, so we had to remove some of those walls, the metal studs in the walls and put up new ones.”

But Arnold said it’s not impacting the construction schedule and they are still evaluating any added costs.

“There’s a construction contingency in the budget for these kinds of things and those costs will come out of that fund,” he said.

In an update sent to families, West View Elementary School principal Jesse Simpson said before the first day of school crews will install temporary walls to completely separate occupied parts of the building from the construction site.

”The walls will be insulated and soundproof, creating secure barriers between our classrooms and the ongoing construction,” Simpson said. “At no time will construction crews have access to the main portion of the building where teaching and learning is taking place. We know it will be an adjustment as our students return. Parts of the building look strikingly different. Not all classrooms and offices are where they once were and several new temporary classrooms and office spaces have been added.”

The main entrance to the school remains in the gym lobby off Bellevue Avenue. This will continue to be the main entrance through at least the first semester, according to Simpson.

“I assure you that myself and my staff will be on hand to direct students so they know where they are going as they adjust to the renovated spaces,” Simpson said.