Marking off the Milestones: New Johnston High School Construction Progresses
The summer construction season is in full swing and for a crew of about 200 workers in Johnston, that means hitting major milestones on the new Johnston High School project.
The new high school is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2017, with students taking to the halls in August 2017. Crews have been taking advantage of warm days and little rain to complete work inside and outside the 369,000 square-foot facility.
Major Milestones
- Roofing is now complete on all areas of the high school. Finishing the work up top allows the building enclosure to get completed in a timely manner.
- Concrete was poured for the base of the gym floor. Up until early June, the three-court gymnasium had been too wet to work on, making it one large, muddy area. The weather helped to dry out the mud, enabling workers to lay down a gravel base and pour concrete. The next step in the gym area is painting and installing the gym equipment (basketball hoops, bleachers) and the wood flooring.
- Nearly finished classrooms in the north wing. Of the three academic wings, the north is the most finished, with classrooms having carpet, lighting, wiring, and painting completed. Cabinetry and ceiling finishes will be added in September
- The 1,200-seat auditorium is filling up. All the structural components of the auditorium space are in place and finishes are starting to be applied. Over the next two months, all the ceiling work will be underway and then the rest of the finishes can continue.
- Geo-thermal wells are dug and done. The 700 geo-thermal wells surrounding the high school will provide heating and cooling to the building. More than 85 miles of piping was used to create and complete the well system.
“Our construction crews have been putting in a lot of work to keep the Johnston High School project on schedule,” said David Dominguez, Stahl Construction project manager. “Their work allows for visible progress to be made every day.”
Stahl Construction broke ground on the new school facility in September 2014. Since then, the project has remained on schedule and on budget – a priority for both Stahl and Johnston Community School District administrators.
“We have found wonderful partners in Stahl and our building architects, FRK Architects + Engineers,” said Corey Lunn, JCSD Superintendent. “We’ve been able to get a number of community members and school staff out to the new site and are proud to show them this new facility. Hitting these major milestones is exciting for everyone involved.”
The Johnston Board of Education recently approved the bid process for a new athletic complex at the new high school facility. After the initial bids were received on June 21, a decision was made to re-bid parts of the project, with new bids for the remaining trades due on July 12. If bids are accepted by the school board, work will begin on the new athletic stadium, slated to be completed when the new high school opens.
