Park Place Middle School remodel in Monroe taking shape
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, December 6, 2016
MONROE — Walls are nearly complete in the classroom wing. The roof is done on the new auxiliary gym. Updated athletic fields have been readied for the installation of artificial turf.
The remodel of Park Place Middle School on Main Street is well underway.
Work started in June on the $69 million project, the largest piece of a $110.9 million bond passed by voters in 2015.
Demolition of the old school buildings began just days after classes let out for the summer, said Erin Zacharda, district spokeswoman.
The project is expected to be done by the beginning of the 2018 school year.
Plans are to renovate or rebuild the gym, commons, one entire two-story building and portions of another. New classrooms are being added along with a track and field. School security also is being improved.
The construction is broken into phases so students can continue going to class during the work. There are 767 students at Park Place, which is for grades 6, 7 and 8.
About half of the old school was torn down during the summer. Classroom space was added in the other half using temporary walls to divide the library. The district also brought in portables.
Once the first half of the school is rebuilt, classes will move over there and the portables will remain in use until the rest of the campus is finished, Zacharda said.
Other bond projects include new ball fields at Monroe High School, the last of which should be finished this spring, and overhauls of Salem Woods and Frank Wagner elementaries. The elementaries are scheduled for construction starting this summer, including the addition of new buildings and classrooms. Work should be done by fall 2018.
Hidden River Middle School also is slated for an expansion, though not as extensive as Park Place. The $18.2 million project would improve security, build new science, art and technology classrooms, expand the kitchen and add a track, fields and play areas.
The bond is paying for other, smaller projects, among them replacing roofs, updating parking, resurfacing play areas, upgrading lighting and improving access for people with limited mobility. District officials also plan to improve security with new cameras, keyless entry and better lighting at schools.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
