The summer months have been a period of great progress for the new Miami Trace High School project, according to district officials.
During the past few months, the contractors have been hard at work on the masonry walls that serve as the supportive backbone for the building, Bill Franke, the business manager for Miami Trace Local Schools, said recently. Due to the size of the project, the building has been broken down into two separate contracts for the masonry walls and brick veneer.
“One contractor is focused on the northern half, while the other contractor works on the southern half of the building,” said Franke. “In mid-September, the masonry crews began to install the exterior brick and window frames on the building in anticipation of the windows arriving on site by November. The overall goal is to have most of the building enclosed prior to the start of the severe winter weather, allowing the crews to continue to work inside the building throughout the period.”
Temporary heating units will be provided as needed during cold weather.
At the May 2015 special election, a 3.9-mill, 37-year bond issue was passed by the taxpayers setting in motion the plans to replace the current high school with a new state-of-the-art facility. The new structure is being constructed on a nearly 60-acre piece of farmland to the east of the football stadium.
On the ground floor of the main academic wing, crews have been busy installing heating and cooling duct-work, overhead electrical conduit and water piping. The four large air-handling units have been placed in their final resting places in the second floor mechanical rooms.
“These units will move the air within the building that will provide heating, cooling and ventilation,” said Franke. “To put it into perspective, each of these units is as large as a school bus.”
Local contractor, Tony’s Welding, has been installing the steel roofing joists and decking that will serve as the roof for the building.
“It was very exciting to see the roof joists being placed above the new auditorium,” said Franke. “Speaking of the auditorium, the concrete crews have poured the walls that will serve as the orchestra pit and stage. The crews will now focus on removing dirt to create the slope for the auditorium floor. Finally, the back wall of the auditorium will be constructed and the steel deck and roofing can begin in this area. We anticipate the roofing contractor to begin work in some areas of the building as early as the first week in October.”
The roadway changes that connect the new school to the existing campus are almost complete. Crews reconfigured the main drive, as well as the middle school and bus garage parking lots. During this month, the landscaping crews will complete final grading and grass seeding around these areas.
“At this time, the team does not foresee any issues that will delay the anticipated opening of the school in January 2019,” said Franke. “The project is proceeding well, thanks to a strong design and construction team, as well as solid support from our community and board of education.”
The community is encouraged to contact Miami Trace at 740-335-3010 with any questions about the project.
