VWSD trustees get Warren Central construction update
Published 1:46 pm Wednesday, October 4, 2023
- Warren Central High School dedicated its renovated gym at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Work on the roof work is complete, painting is nearing completion, the gym is ready and the glass has arrived.
Those were among the highlights in an update on the renovations at Warren Central High School presented to the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees on Sept. 28.
The $29.67 million project at Warren Central is part of a $131.5 million school district-wide renovation project that included the construction of the Academy of Innovation. The project is funded in part by an $83 million bond issue approved by voters in March 2018. The work at Warren Central was initially expected to be completed in spring 2020.
Mark Pippen with Bailey Program Management LLC told the trustees the contractor’s work on the roof has been inspected by the roofing manufacturer “and he actually had a good inspection. I think there were only about five or six items that they found at all. They’re working off those punch list items.”
Pippen said work on the gym was nearing completion, telling the board, “We’ve got the gym basically ready to go for your volleyball games next week. The cleaning crew is coming in tomorrow to clean that up so you can use that facility next week.”
The new gym was officially opened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“I’m happy to report the glass (for the school) has arrived,” Pippen said. “I didn’t physically go count every piece of glass, but I can tell you it’s staged around the site and they were actually installing it in the secure vestibule.
“The plan is that it should be completed by the end of next week at the latest,” he said, adding the school’s loop road asphalt parking lot is scheduled to be done over the school’s fall break.
Pippen presented the trustees with a printed update on the project. That update included:
General site update
• The contractor has kept all of the material off of the Band Practice Field except for the Conex box storing glass.
• The band practice field appears to have been graded with sand. Site prep is continuing for parking expansion in the band practice field area.
• The contractor has completed the new sidewalk in front of the agora entrance.
• The front canopy appears to be complete including painting, lights, and gutters. Signage has not yet been installed on the canopy.
• The subcontractor was starting installation of the canopy at the back of the Agora. • The contractor has cleared materials and debris from the loop road and area around the softball field in preparation for completing that work. Clean-up is in progress around various areas of the site.
• The contractor has started site clearing and layout of the loop road near the softball field including the drainage swale along the tree line.
Academy Building/Building A
• Locker infills appear to be complete except for some cleanup at the base at several infill sections.
• Some work in the corridor remains to be completed — the area near Corridor 300b and the old cafeteria entrance.
• The CMU infill in these areas has been installed flush with the adjacent tiled walls and the contractor will reportedly add Ardex to complete this area.
• Corridor 300b VCT has been installed. VCT should be waxed as soon as possible.
• The Contractor has reportedly completed the punch list items in the locker rooms.