High-School Construction to Finish Early, Under Budget Due to COVID

Construction work on Hendersonville High School, located in Hendersonville, N.C., is set for completion in August 2022—11 months ahead of schedule. The project will also come in about half a million dollars under its $59.1-million budget.

Henderson County Capital Projects Manager David Berry attributes the accelerated timeline to sitework during the summer before construction, as well as a reduced student presence in the school due to the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed workers more and longer access to the site. He announced the news to the Board of Commissioners, who voted to amend its contract with Vannoy Construction to incorporate the new schedule and financial information.

“This is, for me, exciting news to bring forward to this board,” said Berry. “This whole project has been not only the most expensive that Henderson County—I believe—has taken on; it’s been the most difficult. And without everybody’s cooperation, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

The project includes renovations to two campus buildings (the Stillwell Building and the gymnasium completed in 1974) as well as a new-two story building. The new building will play home to administrative offices; a student media center; a new cafeteria; and new science, chorus, and band classrooms. The new building is set to open in August 2021 instead of its original December 2021 completion date.

“Students are going to benefit from this,” said Henderson County Public Schools Superintendent John Bryant. “Taxpayers are going to benefit from this. While logistical challenges will be presented, we welcome those challenges. We know that we’ll be successful in meeting those challenges because they benefit the children of our community.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.

  • Anderson Brulé Architects Rebrands as ABA Studios

    Anderson Brulé Architects, based in San Jose, Calif., recently announced that it is celebrating 40 years of service by rebranding under a new name, according to a news release. The architectural, interior design, and planning firm will now be known as ABA Studios to refresh its identity underneath a new generation of leadership.

  • Empowering People Through Smart, Sustainable Campuses

    Sustainability is facing increasing scrutiny, with some questioning its costs and priorities. Yet for universities, it remains an essential driver of resilience, operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that sustainable transformation is not just about reducing energy consumption and emissions to comply with tightening regulations ‒ it’s about creating vibrant, comfortable environments where people can thrive, innovate and connect. For university leadership, this is a complex balancing act, with rising energy costs and limited budgets only adding to the challenge.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

Digital Edition