Construction continues on the Advanced Studies building and the new media center and cafeteria at Gainesville High School, and on the Gainesville Middle School West Campus site.
At a work session Monday, Facilities Director Adrian Niles gave an update on all three projects. The Advanced Studies building should be open to classes in August and the certificate of occupancy should be ready in about three weeks.
"This week alone they've already started grading, you can see if you've been down landscaping is already started, they've placed trees and sod has been put in place," said Nile. "Today (Monday) they actually started framing the grand staircase, so that work has started," said Niles. He said furniture had already started arriving as well.
"If you've driven by that and seen it in the past couple of weeks, Mr. Niles, it really has changed quite a bit," said Superintendent Jeremy Williams during the presentation.
The first wing of the first floor of the Advanced Studies building will be dedicated to Beulah Rucker, a well-known Black educator in Gainesville and Hall County.
The former Advanced Studies building is planned to come down before school starts again in the fall.
The media center and cafeteria is also under construction, with masonry work finishing up, front entry glass in place, the completion of skylight installation, and with a new sidewalk area getting ready to be poured.
The media center and cafeteria building should be complete and open for student use during winter break, so it can be used in January.
Construction also continued on the new middle school. Niles said 80% of the building's slab has already been poured and some steel has already been erected.
"Work that's been done this week, all the erosion and sediment control, that's all been put in place," said Niles. "We've obtained our seven day letter from our civil engineer, trench rock blasting, all of that is complete."
The board also voted to approve several elements of the new school, including the name, on Monday. More information on those decisions can be found here.
Monday's presentation and more photos can be found here.
