Welcome to the Mercer Island High School Construction Page

9-7-2017

Band camp and sports teams have had use of the field for the last two weeks of August. Over the Labor Day weekend, the track was sprayed with two new top coats. Striping of the track is planned for the week of 9/11. Additional cork material was added to the field on 9/6 and the Stadium ready for the first home football game on 9/8.

9-7-2017

New parking area is in use. We have a bit more work on the bus wash relocation and the path from the track to the new bleacher area to complete. This will occur once Field Turf has demobilized from the site.

   

9-4-15

Our new additions at the High School are ready for staff and students. The District has also completed site work associated with the project including a complete reconfiguration of the front parking lot and a new student pick up/drop off lane that was constructed last summer; a new bus pullout area along 92nd Avenue SE; and an extended drop off area along SE 42nd Street. There are a few landscape items to complete such as hydro-seeding and plantings which will linger into fall.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place on August 18th and the facility was well received. Tiger McBurney and Aidan Wang cut the ribbon to officially open the spaces. Teachers have been busy moving into the new spaces and preparing for the school year while the contractor has been working diligently to complete the “punchlist items” or work that was unfinished or did not conform to the contract’s specifications.

This will be the last construction update for this project. The work was completed on time and within budget. The District extends a huge thanks to all the individuals who were so instrumental in creating and delivering these wonderful learning spaces.

Superintendent Gary Plano and Principal Vicki Puckett with students at the Ribbon Cutting Celebration

 ASB president Tiger McBurney cuts the Ribbon  

Student demonstrates new classroom technology     

8-10-15

Our construction team inches closer each day to completion of the work at Mercer Island High School. The finishing touches are being made both inside and outside the building. A list of minor tasks following the project’s completion by the contractor is underway and includes several “fixes” along 92nd Street. We will be removing and replacing the entry drive into the student parking area adjacent to the music wing and a section of sidewalk is being removed and replaced. The pullout on the north side of SE 42nd Street is being extended towards 92nd Avenue SE to allow for safe student drop off. This area, along with the pullout that was created on 92nd Avenue SE, will also allow cars to park off the street outside of school hours.

Inside the building we are cleaning, touching up paint, installing equipment, taking delivery of the final furniture, and finishing minor tasks.

Landscaping being placed off 42nd Street

New classroom in the 200 wing

Science teacher prep room 111A

A Ribbon Cutting Celebration is scheduled for August 18th, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. (gathering at 3:45) and the invitation is open to anyone who would like to attend. We will be gathering at the front entrance of the building and then working our way through the new spaces. This will be a good opportunity to get a sneak peak at the additions and changes that have happened over the past year.

The project is still within budget and on schedule.

7-16-15

Work on the High School Addition project is nearing completion. We expect to have Substantial Completion of the building portion by the end of the month. Site work will continue over the next few weeks, including landscaping and new lights along 92nd. We have new furniture and beautiful new benches that were crafted from the trees we removed – see the photo below. Of the 16 crafted benches, 8 will be placed in the new outdoor classroom south of the high school’s main entry, 6 will be inside the building, and 2 will be along the east side of the site.

Along 42nd we will be removing the planting bed and curb and extending the existing pullout to accommodate parent drop-off in a safe manner. That work should be completed by late August.

The project is still on schedule for completion this summer and is within budget. 

A huge THANK YOU to all of our neighbors, especially those along 92nd who have patiently put up with all the construction activity this past year. Your kind hearts and generous spirt have not gone unnoticed.  

 East end of the 100 Hall extension near final stages

Tree protection area off 92nd Street 

Wood benches made from re-purposed trees 

6-9-15

We continue to make good progress on the high school additions. The brick work is nearing completion, soffits are being installed, metal panel installation continues, and site preparation for landscaping has begun. The lids for our large infiltration vault were set this week and we are buttoning up the area between the 200 hall extension and the 300 hall. With the vault set and scaffolding down, the sidewalk and curbs along 92nd Avenue SE can be completed.

Inside the building, the ceiling grid, fire alarms, sprinklers, and mechanical ductwork are nearly complete in all three wings. Ceiling tiles will be installed over the next two weeks along with electrical trim. Floor finishes will go down in late June. Furniture is scheduled for delivery at the end of the month.

The project is on schedule for completion this summer and is within budget.

 Above: East end of the 100 Hall extension

Above: New classroom in the 200 hall

Above: New classroom in the 100 hall

5-12-15 -- New Addition

The last couple of weeks have been very productive at the high school. The interior of the 100 and 200 halls is 90 percent painted out. The suspended ceiling-tile grid has started going in and cabinets arrived on Friday. The 300 hall is fully insulated and sheetrock is being installed. Outside the building, good progress has been made on the brick work and miscellaneous metal panels. The stormwater infiltration vault was dug, tested (it passed), and the bottom section was poured.

Over the next few weeks, the walls of the vault will be completed and the large concrete lid sections will be set by crane. Site work and preparation for landscaping will also begin. With the vault complete, we will be able to finish the curb and sidewalk work along SE 92nd. We also expect to begin a small amount of work to the south of the main entry, where benches will be installed to provide an outdoor classroom. Inside the additions, paint, ceiling grid, and finishes will continue. 

4-29-15 -- New Addition

Work on the Mercer Island High School addition is progressing nicely. The 100 and 200 hall extensions have been sheet rocked, windows frames and glass are being installed and the areas are being prepared for paint. Ceiling grid, light fixtures, cabinets, and various finishes will follow over the next month. The 300 hall is framed, mechanical and electrical rough-in is nearing completion, and insulation and sheet rock will be installed over the next few weeks.

We have begun digging the large stormwater infiltration vault between the 200 and 300 halls. This vault has a large rock column in the bottom that extends down through the soil into a layer that will drain the water. This process is called infiltration and is a best-practice method for dispersing stormwater when the site geology will allow it. When soil will not allow for infiltration, a detention vault is constructed to hold and release water slowly into the public storm system. Constructing infiltration vaults is more complicated than detention vaults as the process requires testing to ensure the water will infiltrate into the soil at the designed rate. Testing will be performed over the next week and then construction of the vault over the following few weeks. This work will include forming and pouring a concrete floor that will surround the deep rock column, and forming and pouring the concrete walls. A pre-cast concrete lid structure which is being fabricated off site will then be set with a crane. Once the vault is complete, the balance of sidewalks and curbs can be completed and our landscape work can begin.

Taping sheetrock in the new 100 hall

Digging the infiltration vault between the new 200 and 300 halls

4-10-15

The contractor is making good progress on all three additions as well as the interior work. The 100 hall has a large amount of brick in place, roofing is nearly complete, inside walls are framed, door frames are installed, mechanical and electrical rough-in is underway and wire is being pulled. Drywall is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks. The 200 hall is at about the same stage inside and brick will continue outside during the next two weeks. Roofing started on the 300 hall this week and mechanical and electrical rough-in will begin next week.

Inside the building, there was a lot of work over spring break. Windows were cut into rooms 211A and 314. Doors and interior windows were set in a few of the rooms that adjoin the new addition, skylights and walls were painted, A/V systems were installed, and flooring went into the 300/400 hall area as well as the new restrooms. There is still a lot to do in these rooms and it will happen after school and on weekends through the end of the school year.

The site made significant progress over spring break with curb and sidewalks being installed along SE 42nd and 92nd SE. Work will continue north on 92nd SE over the next few weeks. 

3-20-15

The district continues to make good progress on the Mercer Island High School addition. Roofing has been installed at the 100 wing and we are working inside on insulation, ductwork, and the laying of electrical lines. Framing continues at the 200 wing, and should begin soon for the 300 wing. Those who have been around the high school block know that work is taking place on 92nd Avenue SE, between SE 41st and SE 42nd. The ditch along the west side of 92nd is being filled in to provide a pullout that will accommodate metro and school buses. Curb, gutter, and sidewalk will also be installed along the west side of the street from 41st to 42nd. As part of this work, a new storm line will be installed, along with multiple catch-basins to collect and direct the rainwater that previously ran through the ditch. This requires slow and careful work as there is a large Seattle Public Utilities water pipe directly under the ditch. 

Above: Roofing at the 100 Hall

Above: MIHS science staff and Principal Vicki Puckett visit the new science rooms in the 100 Hall

2/25/15

Great progress was made over mid-winter break. Outside the high school building the concrete slab for the 300-hall extension was poured. Framing continued on the 100 hall and began for the 200 hall. Inside the building, four skylights were installed, new doors and windows were cut into the east elevation of the existing building and other openings were filled in to accommodate the new additions.

In room 107, where we are converting a physics classroom into a chemistry classroom, the concrete floor was cut, new plumbing was installed, concrete was poured back in, and a new wall was installed between rooms 107 and 109.

Room 211 also received a good amount of work and the ceramic tile was placed on the walls in both the new boys’ and girls’ restrooms. The district custodial staff provided amazing support to the teachers and construction crews. Everything was clean and ready for staff and students Monday morning.

Over the next few weeks the contractor will work on framing the new structures and if the weather permits, some site work may begin. Inside the building, work on the skylights, windows, and door frames will occur after school hours. 

2/5/15  

The contractor has made good progress over the past couple of weeks. The slab for the 100-hall extension was poured and wall framing has started. The slab for the 200-hall extension is nearly ready for the concrete deck pour. During the next dry-weather day we should see the concrete pump truck and six or seven concrete trucks. The foundations are complete for the 300-hall extension and we are placing soil in preparation for the slab.

Inside the building, preparations are underway for a good amount of work to occur during the mid-winter break. In addition to room 107, there are changes planned for room 211. Minor work will occur in the classrooms along the east side of the 400 hall. Some of the rooms, where the new extensions tie into the existing building, will gain shared doors with the new spaces and a few of those rooms have large skylights being installed overhead.

Work on the new restrooms at the intersection of the 300/400 halls continues as well. Sheetrock is partially in and work in this space continues after school most days.

1/20/15

We continue to make good progress on the project. Over the past few weeks, steel supports and metal decking have been going in for the 100 hall extension, the concrete walls for the 200 hall were completed, and we poured the footings for the 300 hall addition on Monday. Framing has continued inside the building for the new restrooms.

In the upcoming two weeks, we will be pouring the elevated floor slab and erecting the columns for the 100 hall, placing steel at the 200 hall, and finishing the concrete foundations at the 300 hall. Inside, after-hours work on the restrooms will also continue. The contractor’s next window of opportunity with no students in the building will occur in February during the mid-winter break. Parts and pieces for the remaining interior work are being assembled and if the stars align we will transform Room 107 from a physics room into a chemistry room over the break and the following week. Changes will include new epoxy-resin counter tops, sinks, a fume hood, and the removal of the folding wall shared with Room 109. The wall will be replaced with studs, sheet rock, new cabinets, counter tops, and sinks.

1/05/15  

The contractor worked on both the interior and exterior components of the project over winter break. Outside, steel was delivered for the 100 hall, the footing for the north wall of the 200 hall was poured, and over excavation for the 300 hall footings took place. Inside the building, the new men’s restroom was framed, work progressed on the women’s restroom, and the ductwork that will serve the new addition to the 300 hall was installed in the ceiling space above classroom 314. Thanks to staff who worked to accommodate this effort inside!

The week of January 5^th, we will continue work outside with steel placement at the 100 hall, concrete at the 200 hall, and earthwork at the 300 hall. Work on the interior restrooms will continue after school hours. The project is on schedule and within budget.

12/16/14

We continue to make progress on the footings, stem walls and site work for the addition portion of the project. The north portion is all that  remains on the 200 hall extension and it should be complete this week. Excavation for 300 will begin late this week or early next. Our structural steel is at the fabricator and scheduled to be delivered to the site late in December or early in January. Steel is in great demand in the current market, and when delivered and installed, we will achieve a real milestone enabling the trades to begin framing, roofing, etc.

Inside the building, the contractor is moving right along. Concrete slabs were poured last week for the new restroom at the 300/400 hall intersection and the plumbing trench in the hallway. This week’s photo shows the upper portion of the area that will be returned to the classroom when complete.

Plumbing rough-in is underway on the lower level and framing is planned for later this week. We are also working in the ceiling above one of the special-ed rooms in the evening to avoid disruption to the learning environment this week and to prepare for full day-shift work during the two weeks of holiday break. 

12/3/14 

We had a short but productive three days last week. Below is a link to a forty second time-lapse video taken by a school security camera in the 300/400 hall intersection. The video covers an 8 hour time frame on Monday of last week and shows the removal of the concrete to prepare for new plumbing lines. The man with his back to the camera at the end of the video is one of our custodians making sure the area has been cleaned up and ready for classes the next morning. Every night since, the contractor has been removing the plywood cover and installing the piping material in these trenches. The work is progressing well and we expect to pour concrete back in these trenches within a week or two.

Outside, the work is moving along as well. We have a concrete pour scheduled for this week and will be moving on to the 300 hall excavation within a week or so.

11/24/2014 

The stem walls for the 100-hall extension were poured and the forms stripped last week as planned. This week’s work will include backfill of the footings at the 100-hall and the forming of walls at the 200-hall. Inside the building we poured the concrete walls for the new restrooms and will be preparing for plumbing rough-in. This work will include removal of a long strip of concrete slab in the far, east end of the 300 hall and the north end of the 400 hall. The slab was cut weeks ago, the floor tile was removed, and we will be removing the cut sections of concrete this week. The shallow trench will be covered with a recessed plywood structure each night. Once all the plumbing has been installed, we will pour concrete back in the trench. This work is all planned for non-school hours. 

11/18/2014

 

Stem wall form work continued on the 100 hall extension last week. It was a slow go with lots of detail work for brick ledgers, embeds, and literally tons of rebar. This week’s work outside the building will include pouring these walls, stripping the forms, and getting started on similar walls for the 200 hall extension. Inside the building, excavation continued last week for the new restroom and the new footing was formed and poured. This week, we are forming the walls and expect to pour these after school hours. This is a great photo that shows what is happening behind the plywood barricade once school is out each day. At the end of the shift, the plywood goes back, the hallway is cleaned, and school goes on as usual.

11/10/2014

The contractor poured the majority of the footings for the 200 hall last week. Forming for the stem walls at 100 continued and we expect to pour these this week. Everyone is looking forward to a break in the rain, especially this crew that has worked right through every soggy day and somehow managed to still be smiling. Inside we are making great progress. We will have another big day on Saturday with more concrete and soil removal. The vinyl floor tile in the 300/400 corner of the building was removed during the week and the concrete slab has been saw-cut. This week the contractor will continue preparing the area for new footings. 

11/5/2014

 

The concrete pour for the 100 hall footings happened last Monday as planned. Weather permitting, we will pour stem walls a portion of the footings for the 200 hall later this week. Inside, the restroom work progressed well with a big day of soil removal on Saturday. Work on this area will continue during non-school hours. A big thank you to our neighbors on 92^nd Ave SE. We really appreciate your patience!

10/27/2014 

Work continued this week both inside the building on the new women’s restroom, and outside on footings for the 100 and 200 hall extensions. After school hours the contractor cut the concrete slab just north of room 415 (in the 300 hall) and removed a large section to expose the material below. Excavation of the material began on Saturday with a very loud vacuum truck. It is not a huge amount of material but it is in a location that makes removing it a little tricky. It is hard to believe looking at the photo that the contractor is able to cover all this, clean the area, and have it ready each morning for school but they are, and have been doing a great job on the work. This work will continue for the foreseeable future, beginning after school is out each day.

Outside of the building, our very soggy concrete crew placed rebar and prepared to pouring footings. We are scheduled for Monday to pour these East of the 100 hall. This will mean a large concrete pump truck and about seven concrete trucks (not all at once). Thanks in advance to everyone for your patience while this pour happens. It’s a milestone in the process and one we are eager to reach.

10/21/2014

 

The contractor made good progress last week. Excavation for footings at the 100 and 200 halls is nearly complete. Rebar arrived and forms were laid. Weather permitting, we hope to see concrete this week. Inside the building, the temporary wall in room 415 was installed and the shoring in the 300 hall was installed. The design is to lower the floor elevation for these restrooms from the existing level of Room 415, down to the level of the 300 hallway, about 4 feet. Work will continue on this after school hours for the next few weeks.

10/13/2014

Excavation for the footings that will extend the 100 and 200 halls continued last week. Weather permitting, we may see the first of the rebar and concrete this week. Work is scheduled to begin inside the building as well. New student restrooms will be constructed at the far east end of the 300 hall. The temporary partition wall in room 415 (see previous updates) is step one. A large opening will be cut in the corridor wall, and excavation of material will be done to bring the new restrooms down to the same level as the 300 corridor. This process will take several weeks and all work within the building is scheduled for after school hours on a swing shift. This is a complicated portion of the project and it will be good to get started on it.
 

10/06/2014

Excavation for the footings continued last week and excavation for the storm water infiltration vault began. If you drive by the site, you may notice some large piles of dirt. With so much construction work happening in the Seattle area, dump trucks have been in short supply and it’s been a slow, one truck removal process for us. This week we will be forming for footings, continuing excavation on the vault, and hauling away dirt.

9/30/2014

The remaining exterior brick was removed last week along the east façade. Work on the end of the 300 hall was done after school and into the evening to ensure no disruption of the Special Ed. programs housed in that area of the building. Thank you to our neighbors for putting up with the work until after dark. The contractor also started on the building pad and footing excavation for the 100 hall. 

9/22/2014

Work along the east façade progressed well last week. As planned, the brick was removed up to just north of the 200 hall and temporary protection was installed. Brick removal will continue this week up to and around the 300 hall. Excavation for the footings off the east end of the 100 hall is also scheduled to begin this week. No work inside the building has started yet. The contractor hopes to get the temporary wall in 415 up this week.

9/15/2014

The contractor made good progress on site demolition this week. Teachers and students were very patient with us as we removed planter beds, stairs, and the old asphalt bus loop. This week we will begin demolition on the exterior walls, starting at the south end (100 wing) of the building. In an effort to minimize the disruption to the learning environment, classes will move in and out of the Library as we pull down the brick and install weather protection. We hope to reach the 200 hall by the end of the week. Once the brick is down in each area, excavation for footings will start and we will be placing Geopiers as required (see the 9/1/14 construction update for more information on Geopiers).

Inside the building we plan to install a temporary wall in room 415 late in the week, after school hours. This over-sized classroom is being used by World Language and Health classes. The construction work will take the small kitchenette offline for a period of time while we excavate, pour concrete, and frame walls for the new girl’s bathroom. The classroom will be reduced in size by about 25 percent (down to the size of a typical classroom) while the work happens, but will go back to its current size, with the kitchenette, when finished.

9/8/2014

 

The contractor started installation last week of the TESC (temporary erosion and sediment control) measures on site. Silt fence was installed which is intended to catch and filter any rainwater runoff from the site. Demolition of the shrubs, sidewalks and planter beds was underway by the end of the week. The work will continue this week and we hope to start removing brick from the east face of the building the following week. Part of this project includes creating new bathrooms at the east end of the 300 hall and some after-hours (after school) work may start inside the building the week.

9/1/2014

We have just begun the work on the new addition. Twelve beautiful old trees came down this summer and the logs were salvaged and sent to a mill where they will be cut, dried and made into both indoor and outdoor benches for the school. The east exits from the 100, 200 and 300 wings were closed (with new exit paths in place north and south). Demolition of the brick facades and excavation for footings will take place this month. In addition, we have a large hole to dig for a storm water infiltration vault. This is an interesting structure that will retain and covey clean storm water from the roofs of the new additions into a permeable layer of sand approximately 15-20 feet below existing grade. We will also be using a unique soil preparation method for portions of the foundation system called Rammed Aggregate Piers (RMPs) that will create rock columns from the surface, down through fill material and bear on native material. This work may get underway later in the month.

 

 to see plans for where the additions will be made at Mercer Island High School.

9/8/2014

Thanks to everyone who worked so patiently with us last week on learning the ins and outs of the new parking lot layout. Everyone did a great job and things went pretty smoothly considering it was the first week of school. We will allow things to settle down for another week and then see if there are any changes in parking, signage or other elements that would make things function better. Again, thank you for your patience.

The construction of the lot is nearly complete. Punchlist work (corrections and repairs by the contractor) and installation of the handrail are scheduled to happen this week. 

9/1/2014 

Work on the new lot is nearly complete. Work that will continue into the first week of school includes the final mulch in planting beds, installation of a handrail and contractor punch list items. Changes to the lot include a new dedicated parent drop-off/pick-up lane with a separate entrance directly off SE 42^nd Street, two new electrical vehicle charging stations and a reconfigured staff /visitor parking area with a new exit drive directly onto SE 42^nd Street.

Click here to see a large version of the site plan.