Under Construction

Heavy equipment and fencing is now on full display on the PCM Middle School/Prairie City Elementary campus, as a nearly year-long construction project began Tuesday on the exterior of the two buildings.

Crews began removing trees, brush, shrubs and concrete to clear the path for primary construction, slated to start after students leave for summer break in May. The work is all part of PCM’s three-year, $20 million facilities renovation project.

At Monday night’s monthly school board meeting in Monroe, PCM Superintendent Brad Jermeland updated board members on construction progress, including interior renovations to PCM Middle School’s auditorium, which began during last week’s spring break.

Asbestos removal from the auditorium and gym was completed Thursday. Construction crews have removed the existing seats and carpet in the auditorium to prep for expanding seating, making stage improvements and other upgrades.

But the most noticeable changes are outside the school, where the former parking lot and bus lane between the schools has been fenced in and transformed into a work zone. By the end of next school year, the area will hold an enclosed breezeway linking the two buildings.

The district’s new pick-up and drop-off policy for students and parents was implemented Monday, and PCE Principal Stephanie Ver Helst said it “went off without a hitch.”

“American Fence Company came out and put the fencing up on the property to define different zones for construction. I think that really helped out (Monday). It gave a clear picture of where people could travel and not travel,” Jermeland said.

As trees were marked for removal, district officials found at least one was donated and dedicated by a Prairie City family. Jermeland said he’s reaching out to any family or individual who donated a tree and will extend the opportunity to replant the variety of their choosing after construction is complete.

This is just the beginning of site work, which Jermeland said will consist of establishing staging areas for the construction companies, tree/bush removal, sidewalk/parking lot removal and dirt work for the “Link” addition that will be built to connect the two buildings.

The district announced its construction timeline for its Prairie City campus earlier this month.

Late site work in Prairie City will consist of final site grading and installation of new sidewalks to the entrances and adjacent areas. The middle school/PCE parking lot will be completed summer 2018.

Interior construction at PCM Middle School will last through September 2017. Work for the building addition is expected to start in early May and last throughout the 2017-18 school year.

The middle school media center will be renovated this summer, scheduled to begin at the end of May with a tentative finish date in the end of August. The current office area will be renovated this summer into classroom space and will be completed by fall.

Monroe Elementary

Project contractors also began putting the finishing touches on Monroe Elementary School during spring break. Two large cranes were brought to the facility last week to install the rooftop condensers and heating/cooling units.

Jermeland appeared uncertain if tile work in the ME bathrooms, which the district had asked to be redone once, is yet meeting standards to call the project complete. The superintendent met with project management company DCI Group Wednesday to discuss the issues.

He said the quality of the floors is better but the tile on the walls, in Jermeland’s opinion, still needs improvement.

“I think we probably need to go down and take a look at it to get (school board’s) thoughts in regards to that punch list item, and whether or not you feel it meets the standards,” Jermeland said. “We need to decide whether we want them to come back and do some more work.”

The district does have the right in its construction agreements to withhold payment on the bathroom work until it meets the board’s standards. PCM also has a retainage —money held back until the project is accepted as complete — which is a standard practice in large-scale bonded projects.

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@myprairiecitynews.com