PHS construction enters final stretch

By Kevin Leibrock

May 12, 2008 04:29 pm

— PLAINFIELD — For three years since construction began in 2005, the Plainfield community has watched the new high school on Hadley Road take shape.
Finally, the project is nearing completion.
The building dedication isn’t until June 29, but at a recent school board meeting, construction engineer Jeff Burnett said work is expected to be finished by June 1.
“The administrative staff are moving in June 2, but we’re targeting the first of June to be done,” he said. “There’s the expectation that there may be a couple of items that wind up being on order. We’ve had a history of that on this project. I can think of one material that’s been ordered four different times.”
Outside the building, trailers once used for construction administration are being removed and athletic facilities are making progress.
The first layer of asphalt was placed on the tennis courts over the past two weeks and construction has begun on the surrounding fence. Cleaning and filling of the pool was scheduled to begin Saturday and Burnett said the process will take more than a week. Due to the unpredictable skies of spring, the track will not be completed before June 1.
“Mother Nature is dictating to us right now when we can and cannot work on that running track,” Burnett said. “It’s probably a good two weeks before we can start the surfacing, but more than likely it’s going to be three to four weeks, depending on the weather.”
The large electronic sign on the corner of Hadley Road and Red Pride Drive was installed last week, but final electrical work is still required. Once completed, school officials will be able to display welcome messages on the board wirelessly.
Progress is also being made inside the building. The Plainfield Fire Department was to conduct a fire alarm test Monday and the school’s computer system has been gradually set up over the past few weeks.
“Our technology department has been doing a lot of work running the cables in and making sure the servers are working properly,” Assistant Superintendent Pat Spray said. “They’re out there every day.”
Earlier this month, PHS Principal Scott Olinger and several board members took a group of current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors through the construction site for a first look at the new facility.
Olinger said the students made positive comments about the library and lockers, and one even suggested that a Starbucks be built in the library.
“It was fun to watch their reactions,” board member Scott Flood said. “Students tend to be a little blasé sometimes about a lot of things, but there were quite a few who were really reacting to what they were seeing.”
kevin.leibrock@flyergroup.com

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