Waynesboro school renovation remains mostly on schedule

January 17, 2008|By JENNIFER FITCH

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Plumbers and other contractors have been working double shifts at Waynesboro Area Senior High School to push themselves ahead of schedule in renovating the existing building, according to Jeff Adams, maintenance supervisor.

Their other focus is the 108,000-square-foot addition with the school's new three-court gymnasium and auditorium.

Recent efforts for the $46 million renovation and expansion project have fireproofed the new construction.

"The original auditorium is being transformed into our new cafeteria," Adams said.

A groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 9, 2007, officially launched the work, although asbestos largely was removed prior to that. The project's completion has been targeted for April 2009.

Adams said the new, 1,600-seat auditorium has been leveled, and the view from East Second Street includes the hull of that portion of the structure.

"There's still a big part of the auditorium walls out," Adams said.

Some of the auditorium walls will remain temporarily unbuilt to provide access for the crane needed for the roof, he explained.

Much of the project remains on schedule, although Adams said the auditorium construction has been lagging.

"We've come up with a couple ideas to speed things up," he said.

The addition will increase the size of the building by 60 percent, making it 283,000 square feet and four levels. A separate entrance on the new section will allow secure public access to the gymnasium and auditorium.

The school's existing media center will become classrooms and the cafeteria will be a library when the project is completed. The existing gym will be two floors of classrooms.

A new athletic field has been created between the middle school and the high school.

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