The $23 million expansion of East Coweta High School got underway during the summer and is expected to be completed in July 2015. Once completed, the project that includes the entire campus will add or renovate nearly 310,000 square feet of space and will accommodate 3,400 students.
It is a renovation, modification and expansion project that involves the entire East Coweta High School campus, said school system spokesman Dean Jackson.
Commenting on the project last week, Assistant Principal Ken Kesselring said East Coweta currently serves nearly 3,000 students. Once the project is completed, the new campus will serve nearly 3,400 students, Kesselring said.
Jackson said the contract amount totals $22,978,416. When completed, the project will have modified, renovated or added more than 310,000 square feet of space along with a host of other modifications and improvements.
The first phase of construction includes renovations to East Coweta’s athletic field house and additions to that facility of locker rooms, training space and offices. Work on that portion of the project is currently underway, Jackson said.
“Exterior block work is complete and interior block work is 95 percent complete. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins are near completion. Metal roof installation is proceeding and on-site sewer work is 90 percent complete. Work has also begun on the sewer line extension by Coweta Water and Sewer Authority to replace the current on-site sewer system,” Jackson said.
Demolition is near completion on the first phase in the existing classroom wings and construction of new fire walls is proceeding. Clearing and grading is complete on the classroom addition that will place new academic space in the existing courtyard. Footings for the new classroom addition were poured in early October, said Jackson.
The first phase also includes re-paving of the campus and adding of new parking spaces and other associated site work.
Jackson said the second phase of the project includes construction of a 12-classroom addition totaling 17,830 square feet, along with renovations and modifications of classroom and other spaces throughout the East Coweta campus that totals 293,890 square feet.
“These renovations and modifications will include expanding the high school’s cafeteria into surrounding spaces that will essentially double the size of the current cafeteria, upgrading its kitchen and renovating older utility rooms, labs, locker rooms that are being vacated to the field house addition and similar spaces to provide more classroom space in addition to the 12 classrooms being built in the new wing,” Jackson said.
Jackson said work is being done in phases to minimize disruption to school operations.
“The largest portion of the renovation work will be completed during the summer of 2014, including the renovation of spaces for new classrooms, renovating offices and expanding the school’s main cafeteria,” said Jackson.
Project completion is scheduled for summer 2015.
Project work is being performed by Meja Construction, Inc.
The renovation and expansion project is funded by the 2012 Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
