Naperville Central reconstruction project running under budget

Renovation work at Naperville Central High School is $7 million under budget less than a year into construction.

The project, originally tagged at $87.7 million, is staying close to its schedule, and officials say they will try to take full advantage of an empty school once students are gone for the summer.

In the meantime, crews used spring break for additional asbestos abatement and to start demolition work near the small theater, according to Ralph Weaver, director of facilities and construction.

Naperville Unit District 203 broke ground on the Central renovation last May and officials hope the work will ease congestion in the school as well as update some of the infrastructure of the building that was constructed in 1950.

While classes have been in session, about 25 to 50 workers have been on site each day, focusing much of their effort on a three-story addition to the school at 440 W. Aurora Ave.

When complete, the addition will house all major subject areas, providing modern classrooms and a more consolidated and organized layout than in the current building.

The first floor of the addition will include a cafeteria and kitchen. The current cafeteria holds only 600 to 700 students, but about 1,000 have a lunch period at once, according to Assistant Principal Carrie McFadden. Having some freshmen gone for mentoring programs and seniors off campus for lunch helps, she said, but it still is not enough space. The new cafeteria will have room for just under 900 and also will have a large display screen.

"We do different presentations in here and that's one thing that's been lacking in our cafeteria," McFadden said.

The cafeteria ceiling will be three stories high, which will allow groups like the color guard and poms to use the space for after-school practices.

Four skylights above the cafeteria will help provide about 80 percent of the addition with natural light, even in classrooms that face inside.

The new kitchen in the addition will be a hub to provide hot lunch service to the district's elementary schools.

Officials say they plan to finish the three-story wing over the summer and move students into it in August so they can work on the existing building.

In the old building, crews will relocate and update the learning resource center, reduce building entrances, create new athletic and music spaces and upgrade mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technology.

Last fall, workers replaced the old football field with synthetic turf and created an eight-lane track around it.

Throughout the school year, students have been faced with inconveniences like noise and some unusual smells, but McFadden said she has heard minimal complaints. Any smells reported were investigated and none has been found to be dangerous.

The project at Central will affect about 75 percent of the building and includes 170,000 square feet of new construction and 370,000 square feet of renovation. It is scheduled for completion in December 2011.

Weaver said the project is currently $7 million under budget though there are still bids to open. He attributes the savings thus far to the recession driving down prices.

Central's renovation is the largest of the $114.9 million in projects around the district. In 2008, voters authorized the district to issue $43 million in bonds to help pay for the improvements.

For information on the Central renovation, visit www.naperville203.org and click "Building the Future."