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

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

Digital Edition