Construction nearing completion at elementary schools; work continues at Horizon West
July 31, 2017
Dorothy Dodds Elementary School will be ready for staff by mid August, while renovations at the three elementary schools should be mostly complete by the third week of August. Work continues at Horizon Middle School West Campus with the main areas and south classroom wing nearing completion.
According to Steve Gehrtz, Gehrtz Construction Services, the west classrooms at Dorothy Dodds Elementary are complete and mechanical and electrical systems are operational.
“We expect to have the classrooms and administration areas available for the district to begin setting up desks beginning Aug. 1,” he said.
Contractors were completing the millwork and cabinets in the music and art rooms and were installing wood doors in these areas at the end of July.
The flooring work in the kindergarten area was being completed by late July. Finishes in the public spaces are expected to be complete the week of Aug. 1, Gehrtz said. Gym floors are installed, and they are currently sanding them with the final finish coat to be done by early August.
Exterior wall finishes are complete, and the final installation of the front entrance was done by the end of July.
“The exterior site work and landscaping work continues around the building,” Gehrtz said. “That work should be wrapping up and be completed in the next couple weeks.”
At Robert Asp, Ellen Hopkins and S.G. Reinertsen Elementary Schools, the interior renovations are progressing on schedule, Gehrtz said.
Drywall and painting work was wrapping up in late July, and ceiling grid is nearly complete in a number of the areas, he said. Flooring installation started in the renovated second floor areas of the schools. Millwork and cabinet installation is complete, and mechanical and electrical work is progressing as planned.
“We expect to be wrapping up the major construction work Aug. 18,” he said. “Final cleaning work in some areas will begin the week of Aug. 1.”
According to Gehrtz, contractors are busy trying to get things wrapped up at the Horizon West site.
“Currently the south classroom wing is fully carpeted, all millwork and cabinets have been installed, ceiling tile work is complete, and all electrical and mechanical work in the public spaces is complete,” Gehrtz said. “The entrances and glass walls in the common area and media center have been completed, and they are working on the terrazzo flooring.”
In late July, work began on terrazzo flooring in the main corridors in the south classroom wing.
The kitchen area and music rooms are complete, Gehrtz said. Kitchen equipment was being installed in late July. The wood floors in the gyms have been installed and will have the finish sanding and sealer installed in the next weeks. Drywall and painting work in the media center was being completed by late July.
On the exterior, they graded the area near the north entrance to the commons to allow sidewalks to be completed in late July.
“The lawn irrigation system is being installed in the ball fields, fencing is being completed at the tennis courts and backstops at the athletic fields,” Gehrtz said. “They will begin the final surface for the tennis courts in the next two weeks. We anticipate furniture to start arriving on the site for installation the week of Aug. 1.”
At this time, the north classroom wing will be finished a couple months after school starts with the auditorium scheduled to be done by the end of the year.
Check out more construction photos for Dorothy Dodds Elementary and Horizon Middle School West Campus on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MoorheadSchools.
Categorized under: School