Construction crews scurrying to finish up new library,
administration building and stadium
Gilroy – The sound of construction crews at work is nothing new for Gilroy High School students. During the past four years, the campus has undergone a series of renovations and upgrades costing an estimated $28 to $29 million. But when school starts Aug. 29, students may notice another sound – silence.
With two weeks until students return, construction crews are rushing to finish work on the administration building, the new library and the football stadium.
Though the schedule is tight, school officials believe most will be completed by the start of school.
“It’s looking pretty good,” said Gilroy Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Steve Brinkman. “We don’t expect anything major happening after Aug. 22.”
Punchlist items such as light painting, finish work and testing to make certain electrical outlets work will be leftover, Brinkman said.
Students should not notice much of the fine details once the school year begins.
The only major construction that will be ongoing is the building of the school’s student center. Earlier reports indicated that it would not be completed until April ’06.
The 10,000-square-foot structure will house additional food services such as a grill and deli and student services such as Associated Student Body offices.
Groundbreaking occurred last August, but plans were halted during early construction stages so the district could obtain approval by the State Department of Architects. Heavy rains this winter put the construction further behind schedule.
However, according to Brinkman, recent calculations may allow construction to wrap up as early as late February. Bumping the date up depends largely on the project keeping pace and not being affected by weather or design changes.
Other construction on the GHS campus includes renovation of the administrative offices this summer. While some school officials may be housed temporarily in other buildings, student services such as attendance and discipline offices will be ready for the start of school.
The status of the library is still up in the air. A grand opening will occur in September, however, the exact date of completion has yet to be determined.
