Workers remove the windows at Iola Roberts Elementary School in Pell City. An estimated $3.4 million is being spent at the school.
“Last week they started tearing out the walls in both schools, and at Iola Roberts they removed all the old air conditions and windows,” said Gary Mozingo, facilities supervisor for the Pell City School System. “They are about ready to start putting everything back in.”
He said construction projects at the high school and Iola Roberts Elementary remain on schedule for completion by the time students return to school Aug. 8.
He said there is still some demolition remaining to be done on the bottom floor of Iola Roberts, mainly on the outside front.
“The bathrooms have been gutted,” Mozingo said. “All the demolition should be completed by next week.”
The estimated $3.4 million renovation and addition project at Iola Roberts includes a new gym, band room and four additional classrooms. The old section of the school is being remodeled, and officials say it will look new when it is completed.
“It’s changing every day,” Mozingo said.
He said the old gym in the elementary school was transformed into administrative offices and a library.
“The drywalls are up inside the gym,” Mozingo said.
He said the project at the elementary school should be completed by Aug. 1, and the new front entrance to the high school should be completed by Aug. 5.
”They brought in more workers for both projects,” Mozingo said. “You could see more than 60 workers at Iola Roberts and 30-40 workers at the high school.”
He said the front entrance to the high school is starting to look similar to the Pell City Center, which is adjacent to the high school. The new front entrance is about 3,300 square feet.
The high school construction project costs about $1 million.
Mozingo said workers have already gutted the administrative offices, and will build counselors’ offices and two conference rooms in that space.
In 2009, the school board approved applying for stimulus money and was approved to borrow up to $4.7 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the two projects.
Contact David Atchison at datchison@dailyhome.com.
