The Piedmont Unified School District is moving closer to the start of construction of a new high school STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) building at 800 Magnolia Avenue, where Alan Harvey Theater now stands.
Next week, during the schools’ February Break, the District will remove trees from the high school campus to clear the way for the upcoming demolition and construction. Only those trees that would be unavoidably impacted by demolition or construction will be removed. The wood will be salvaged and repurposed. Eventually, after the new school buildings are completed, the District will plant new trees on the campus and along Magnolia Avenue. The City plans to plant similar trees along the opposite side of Magnolia, creating a tree-lined corridor near the middle and high schools and the Recreation Department.
During tree removal, parking and traffic near the high school will be temporarily impacted and the sidewalk along the high school will be closed. Drivers and pedestrians are encouraged to avoid the area if possible.
On March 12, the District will close Alan Harvey Theater permanently and begin salvaging theatrical lights and other fixtures for reuse and preparing for demolition. When the theater closes, the building site will be screened off from the rest of the high school campus, and the District and City will implement new parking, traffic, and pedestrian safety plans for the area. More information about the plans will be available in early March.
Starting on April 13 and continuing through the schools’ Spring Break, the District will demolish the theater. In order to complete the work while students and staff are off campus, the crews will work every day including Saturdays and Sundays.
Construction of the STEAM building will begin this summer and the new building is expected to open in the 2020-21 school year. The new building will feature engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science labs, as well as math classrooms and studios for 2D and 3D art.
After the STEAM building is completed, the District will demolish Piedmont High School’s “10s” building and build a new Alan Harvey Theater on that site. The new theater is expected to open in the Fall of 2021.
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The STEAM and theater projects are part of the $66 million school facilities bond program, approved by the Piedmont voters in 2016 by 74%. The District has used bond funds to:
- Install new heating and cooling systems at the elementary schools.
- Improve the learning environment at the middle school by reducing sound transfer in classrooms and improving climate control.
- Renovate special education facilities and restrooms at the middle school.
- Install new safety and security features at the middle and high schools consistent with the District’s Safe Schools Plan.
- Create a new high school computer lab.
In addition to building the STEAM and new theater buildings, the District has plans to:
- Replace antiquated building systems in the high school “20s” and “30s” buildings.
- Modernize classrooms in the “20s” and “30s” buildings.
- Replace the turf, track and underground drainage at Witter Field, which are at the end of their useful life.
This work will be phased over the next three years in order to manage the impacts of construction on the campus and community, and manage the District’s cash flow.
Questions or comments? Please contact Superintendent Booker at rbooker@piedmont.k12.ca.us or Director of Facilities Pete Palmer at ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us