Geneva school construction benefits from really nice summer
On Aug. 20, the new Williamsburg Elementary School in Geneva is supposed to open for business.
Construction is in the home stretch. Workers have been installing landscaping this month, removing stockpiles of construction materials, installing toilet partitions, carpeting the corridors and tiling the cafeteria. There's cabinetry to install; finish work for mechanical, electrical and plumbing; rubber flooring to put on the stairs; concrete sidewalks to pour.
Will it be ready?
"Williamsburg is going great," said John Robinson, the Geneva school district's operations and facilities director. "We've had a great summer of building," with good weather.
The state fire marshal and a representative from the Regional Office of Education are scheduled to inspect the school at the end of next week. If they sign off, and the city signs an occupancy permit, the district will then give the school a good cleaning and start moving in the week after. "Everything went smooth," Robinson said.
The boxes of supplies, books and other educational materials are in the gym and cafeteria at Coultrap Elementary School, along with boxes from Harrison Street Elementary School.
"It's quite a sight to see," Robinson said.
Williamsburg is one of many projects underway this summer in the Geneva school district.
Williamsburg students previously attended Coultrap. Harrison will use the Coultrap building this year, while Harrison's building is shuttered for renovations.
Over at Harrison this month, the roof is being replaced, asbestos is being removed in the primary classroom wing (the oldest part of the building) and workers are demolishing walls inside to make room for new elevators. The asbestos is in the adhesive for the floor tiles. There is also some in caulking for windows on the northwest area of the school. That will be removed, because the windows are being replaced.
Geneva Middle School South is getting an addition for storage, and science classrooms are getting new countertops.
Mill Creek Elementary School is getting new carpeting and tile, and new data transmission wiring. It, too, is getting some roof work.
Western Avenue, Heartland and Harrison Street elementary schools are all getting new playgrounds. The equipment has been installed at Western Avenue and Heartland; now it just needs what Robinson calls the "softscape," a rubberized base. The base will be wheelchair-accessible, and lasts longer than wood chips, which compact with use or float away sometimes in heavy rain, Robinson said. Harrison's will be finished later this summer, as the district has to figure out how to schedule the job around the other construction work.
There will be more parking at Geneva High School football games this year; crews began building a lot off Gray Street earlier this week.
"It seems like we're doing a lot," Robinson said.
In the 2009-10 school year, the district is due to open another elementary school, Fabyan. Load-bearing masonry walls are being built there now.