Construction
on the addition and remodel of Western Hills Elementary School,
600-39th Street in West Des Moines, began in June 2008 and
is scheduled to be completed in the for the beginning of the 2009-10 school year.
During the 2008-09 school year, Western Hills students will be housed at the former
Clegg Park Elementary School located at 1020-8th Street in
West Des Moines. Students will move back into their own building upon the completion of the remodeling project in the fall of 2009.
December 11, 2008
Most of sprinkler piping has been installed. All mechanical equipment has been set in place. Virtually all sheet rock has been hung and taping and finishing of drywall is 50% complete. Painting has started in SE portion of building. Interior ductwork is nearing completion following resolution of numerous conflicts with other piping, structural members, etc while striving to maintain maximum ceiling height. The majority of millwork and new doors have been delivered and are starting to be installed. All locker bases have been poured. New mechanical room is now fully enclosed and dried in. All roofing is in place and flashing is under way. Leveling of SW corner of gym that had settled is scheduled to be repaired on 12/12. Regrading of courtyard has been delayed until next spring because of uncooperative weather. All is looking good for a May completion of all the work.
October 23, 2008
All block work is complete on the new mechanical room addition and face brick is 40 % complete. Chillers and other mechanical equipment are scheduled to be set in the addition early next week, and then roof framing and roofing will be completed. All air handling units have been set. Metal stud work for the new walls is underway and nearly complete. Some drywall and painting has been started in areas where there is a tight fit for mechanical equipment. Ductwork for HVAC distribution is nearing completion with most of that work now confined to NW portion of building. Temporary heating units have been set and gas will be connected to them next week. All new boilers have been set. Sprinkler and electrical work are both progressing nicely. The new windows facing the courtyard have been installed and installation is in process for the new windows in SE portion of building. Roofing on the existing building is approx 70% complete. At this time most of the project is on schedule and the new addition work should be caught up in the next 30 days.
September 11, 2008
Demolition is virtually complete and the work has started to put things back together. All asbestos abatement is complete. Footings for the mechanical room addition are installed with the floor scheduled to be poured on September 16 and masonry work to start week of September 22. Steel materials are not due on site until October 1. Drainage line for area next to new mechanical room will be installed in next few days. Roof curbs for mechanical equipment have been installed and roofing material is on site, with roofing scheduled to start on September 15. Courtyard plants have been cut and material is ready to be removed. Pads have been poured for mechanical rooms and equipment is on site ready to be set in place. Metal stud framing for the SE wing of building and courtyard window work is scheduled to start September 15. Ductwork, electrical, sprinkler and plumbing work are all well underway. Project is still on schedule for an early summer 2009 turnover to the District.
August 7, 2008
Demolition is well underway with most ceilings, flooring, lights and drywall already removed. All asbestos abatement is complete except for some floor tile discovered beneath the carpet in the media center – this will be abated early next week. Contractors have started installing new interior water lines, electrical wires and ductwork. Several conflicts that affect ceiling height have been identified and are being resolved. Roofing materials are on site and that work will commence in the next two weeks. Caissons for the new mechanical addition have been placed and work on the grade beam footings will start next week, as well. A drainage problem in the area immediately north of the new mechanical room has been identified and is being addressed. It isn’t uncommon to find “surprises” during the demolition stage and all that has been found to date would fit in the “normal” category. Work is still on schedule for an early summer 2009 turnover of the facility.
