One month into 2017 and construction crews working on the Mount Si High School re-build continue to make on-time progress on ground stabilization for the foundation of the new 2,300 student, 355,000 sq. ft., raised three-story building.
According to MSHS communications, the stabilization process involves large cranes installing 4,800 ‘stone columns’ about 50 feet into the ground and back filling them with gravel, which compacts the existing silty soil to support the new school, improve drainage and meet stringent earthquake codes.
As of last week about 950 stone columns were in, with crews installing an average of 32 columns per day. According to MSHS, “Despite the imposing size of the operation, the vibratory drilling process has been extremely quiet, resulting in no disruption to teaching and student learning.”
As the foundational system work moves forward, NAC architects and engineers have completed final design drawings and specifications, allowing companies interested in bidding on the multi-year, $200 million high school rebuild an initial peek at the project. NAC estimated 60,000 architect and engineer hours went into producing the MSHS design plans.
The district opens formal bidding for the Mount Si project on March 7th, with construction slated to commence on April 10th. Most of the new school will open in the fall of 2019, with the multi-phase project expected to be complete in 2021.
Over the 2019 summer break, and as the new building prepares to open, the old school and gym will be demolished to make way for new parking lots, bus lanes and baseball fields on the property’s south side. During the 2019-20 school year, the new Performing Arts Center (PAC) will be built on the site of the old gymnasium. The last step, from September 2020 – January 2021, involves demolishing the old PAC, replacing it with more parking spaces.
At the January 12th school board meeting, NAC architects presented additional schematics and designs for new Mount Si High School. A few of the photos are shown below.
You can see the full presentation, which also includes information about design materials and under-building parking, as well as more photos of interior spaces, HERE.
[The Mount Si rebuild is funded by a $244 million bond measure that was approved by voters in February 2015.]
