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H-F High fine arts wing expected completion is Sept. 30

A worker is part of a crew doing final outside work on the black box theater, right, and new front entrance to the fine arts wing at Homewood-Flossmoor High School on Monday, Aug. 10. (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)

By Sept. 30, the construction of a designated fine arts wing at Homewood-Flossmoor High School will be substantially complete.

The two additions to the building for the Performing Arts Center got approval from the Regional Office of Education on Aug. 4 and will be ready by Aug. 30. Interior work redesigning the former music rooms into arts studios will be substantially completed by Sept. 30.

A worker is part of a crew doing final outside work on the black box theater, right, and new front entrance to the fine arts wing at Homewood-Flossmoor High School on Monday, Aug. 10. (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)

The $13.98 million construction project got underway in summer 2019 when trees were felled and ground was leveled. The official groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 1, 2019. The district is paying for the project through its reserve fund.

Cosgrove Construction built two new wings onto the South Building of the high school.  A black box theater was added on to the north side of the Mall Auditorium, and classrooms for band, choir and orchestra were added onto the south side of the auditorium.

Space previously occupied by music students is being converted for the art department. A graphics room is being constructed.  

These two projects will bring all the fine arts programs into one wing of the high school. Growing music and theater programs left students in cramped spaces and sometimes rehearsals were held in hallways. Arts students were also in small spaces in the southeast corner of the South Building.

While construction had a few delays due to weather, there have been no major setbacks, according to architect Ed Wright of DLA Architects.

He and co-worker Ryan Kelley gave an update to the District 233 school board’s Finance Committee on Aug. 11. Several change orders have increased the construction costs by $145,450, but Wright said that is a 0.75 percent increase, well below the industry standard of 5 to 10 percent for overage. 

“To be sitting under a percent for the cost and complexity of this job, hopefully that adds some perspective. Things are going very well,” Wright said.

The overruns cost drops to $105,763 when a $39,687 savings from a paving project is subtracted. The driveways around the west side of the high school were repaved and new lighting was installed as part of this construction project.

The former music/new art department area has “a number of challenges” because utilities and infrastructure were not as they appeared on old architectural drawings. For example, Kelley said the elevations were different from the drawings on the existing plumbing lines. 

A steel column that drawings showed had been removed was still in place and would be in the middle of a corridor. That had to be removed. 

And the old plans showed the band risers were 4-inch slabs but “it turns out to be a foot thick in some areas and hiding some existing storm lines.” Kelley said that required additional demolition work.

Kelley said a fire inspector requested new fire pump valves, and the Flossmoor Fire Department requested changes to the existing fire sprinklers.

“Its exciting that we’re coming to the end here,” said Steve Anderson, school board president and member of the Finance Committee. He thanked Wright and Kelley for their work on the project and said he’s anxious for the day students can get to use the new spaces.

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