Classrooms and offices are emptied as the 200 Building sees its final few weeks.
As major operations go, this one was labor-intensive, but fairly painless.
Fourteen hours of surgery. Twenty specialists. And the transfer of one brawny brain from a dying building at Bainbridge High School to a new skull on the other side of campus.
“It’s all about this room,” said Capital Projects Director Tamela VanWinkle, amid the labyrinthine wires and flashing lights of the school district’s “brain,” or technology core.
The brain – through which all district communication, including phone and Internet service, must pass – was successfully moved this week from the soon-to-be-demolished 200 building to a former storage room in the school’s gymnasium.
The move was forced by the coming demolition of the 200 building, which will be replaced by a larger, two-story building. The new building will house administrative and counseling offices, classroom space, the commons and library.
Demolition will happen sometime after May 1, when the district plans to select a contractor. The bidding process began last month and was scheduled to end April 18 before VanWinkle pushed the date back to reduce competition with other school projects, some of which shifted their bid schedules in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, with students on spring break, maintenance crews have begun their own shifting as the school prepares for construction.
Because parking will be limited, new bike racks were installed at the 100 building to help encourage bicycle commuting.
Classrooms in the 100 building that were in use just last week now are being converted into what will become the temporary administration office. That transformation will be aided by the donation of several cubicles from a local business.
Classes forced to vacate have been moved to neighboring Commodore Options School, where staff has consolidated to make room. BHS will use seven classrooms in the building, and every classroom will be in use at all times during the school day.
The school will sell surplus items, including office furniture, kitchen equipment, light fixtures – even chicken-wire from the maintenance building – beginning next week. The sale will be open to other schools beginning on Wednesday, and there will be a public sale from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. next Friday.
Several shrubs and trees surrounding the 200 building were moved to a new planted area next to the 300 building. Other trees at the west end of the building, including a large beech tree and several cherry trees, will not be spared.
“We’ve tried to save every tree we can,” VanWinkle said. “But in some cases there isn’t any other choice but to remove them.”
VanWinkle and architects met with about 15 contractors on Wednesday to answer questions and clarify any aspects of the project that were unclear. Such meetings are routine, she said, adding that she came away feeling optimistic.
As for the technology core, VanWinkle and Technology Director Randy Orwin said they considered keeping it intact while construction occurred around it, but in the end decided a move to a slightly bigger, permanent location in the gym made more sense.
The move cost some $500,000, about $1 million less than preliminary cost estimates for keeping it intact at its old location.
Just as important, Orwin said, is the fact that the school district – which updated its network in December – is now well–equipped for the future.
The new network is especially vital to video applications, like videoconferences with other schools, which have become increasingly popular among educators.
“We are now the envy of school districts everywhere,” Orwin said. “Unless something totally unforeseen happens, we’ll be in a good position to adjust to new technologies for the next ten years.”
