The Greater Albany school district had announced they would start reconstruction of West Albany by the end of summer break. The end of F-hall is now completely empty in order to prepare for these changes, which have yet to even begin construction. There is word from the district that they will not begin at anytime this semester. Completion for West Albany’s reconstruction has been pushed to the 2021-22 school year, and with this the plans for the school have changed slightly, with the only difference being the square footage of the school due to costs, and the date of construction commencement.
Assistant Principal Rich Engel noted WAHS students will still experience a “…beautiful new building, but it won’t be as big.” Although, the size reduction is not exact in measurement yet.
Construction was pushed back to (month) because construction costs are currently higher than normal. Engel explained the project is ¨Going into [a] bid,¨ indicating different construction companies are now bidding their prices on what they will charge to complete the construction project. As of right now, the bids keep getting higher.
At the start of construction, the tennis courts will be renovated. This will be followed by the demolition of parts of F hall, the boys’ locker room, and the trainer’s room, which will eventually relocate underneath the stadium. The trainers may temporarily move to a storage room during reconstruction.
Geographic attributes require adjustment for a safe environment, and Engel stated the longer the wait until reconstruction begins, the higher the cost in construction will ultimately be, not regarding economic changes.
While the updated school is fabricated, temporary walls will be erected to enclose construction zones, keeping students out of contact with dust, machinery, tools, or other hazardous materials related to the rebuilding process. Safety measures will be in place for the students.
It may be difficult to access the turf field for sports during the time of construction. Even though there is going to be construction going on during the school year, it should not affect any future school days.
Most current students will not be here to experience the new building. Nevertheless, future students will experience the full and completed version of West Albany High School
