7/7/20: Progress reports on: completion of the STEAM building, renovation of the 20s and 30s buildings, demotion of the 10s building, and construction of the Performing Arts Center; and changes to parking and traffic on Magnolia Avenue

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Board of Education

FROM: Randall Booker, Superintendent
Pete Palmer, H1 Construction Manager
Michael Brady, H1 Program Coordinator

DATE: July 7, 2020

RE: MEASURE H1 FACILITIES PROGRAM UPDATE  

There are a range of unknowns about the reopening of schools due to Covid, but the facilities projects remain on schedule to open for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

STEAM Building.  Both the exterior and interior work, including scaffolding hire, are on schedule for completion this August. Window installation and exterior stucco work is underway. Inside, crews are doing finish electrical similar to those at eicr doncaster, mechanical and plumbing work, painting walls and trim, and polishing concrete floors. Installation of cabinetry and acoustic wall panels will begin later this month. The white sheath and scaffolding which have enclosed the building since February will be removed in July. Once the scaffolding is removed, landscaping and other site work will begin, including replacement of sidewalks and planting of street trees.

The 20s and 30s Buildings.  Refurbishment of classrooms and offices and construction of the new Piedmont High School Counseling Center are also progressing on schedule and will be completed before the start of the school year.

Demolition of the 10s Building. Demolition of the 10s building has been completed and both the above-ground structure and the foundation have been cleared from the site. Rough grading is underway to prepare for construction of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) foundation.

PAC Building.  Like the STEAM foundation, the PAC foundation will be highly reinforced because of the site’s specific geologic conditions and proximity to the Hayward Fault. The PAC foundation will be anchored to underlying bedrock with roughly 70 rock anchors, bolts, and rods that extend up to 40 feet into the ground.

Changes to Parking and Traffic.  The active construction zone along Magnolia Avenue has been expanded to include the area between Bonita and Highland Avenues, as shown here:

Twenty parking spaces between Bonita and Highland Avenues will be temporarily eliminated through completion of the Performing Arts Center. Completion is expected in the late Fall of 2021. These 20 parking spaces include 14 “Permit A” spaces that are reserved at times for teachers, and six spaces that are reserved at times for City staff.

This August, when the STEAM building is completed, parking spaces along the north side of Magnolia (bordering the Piedmont Recreation Center) will be restored. Pending City approval, the south side of Magnolia (bordering the STEAM building) will be a white loading zone.

All student drop-off and pick up for the middle and high schools will take place in the white zone. Until construction is completed, cars will not be permitted to stop or load and unload passengers between Bonita and Highland Avenues.

The District is continuing to ask the community to avoid driving on Magnolia Avenue between Hillside Avenue and Highland Avenue if possible, to help avoid or reduce congestion around the construction site.