Many concerned citizens attend the public meeting regarding the structural issues with the old gym and the construction of another new one.
By Becky Brewster
CCAISD hosted a community meeting on August 14, to provide the public with information on issues and options for the VHHS gym. With a crowd of concerned citizens present at Eagle Cafeteria to listen and ask questions, the one hour time-frame for the meeting stretched into two hours, delaying the start of the regular Board meeting.
Representatives from Parkhill, Smith and Cooper (PSC) as well as HB Construction (HBC) provided an overview of difficulties that have arisen regarding the VHHS gym. The original intent expressed during the bond election process was to keep the gym as an auxiliary gym with upgrades to the lighting, HVAC and lobby. However, during the demolition process of the high school, several structural issues with the gym were uncovered. The areas of concern are:
• Wooden Arch Construction
• Bleacher Support Framing
• Buttress Supports above the Roof
• Lobby Roof Framing
• North Wall Shoring Support
• Exterior Footing
• Veneer Walls not tied
At first, it appeared that the issues could be resolved using contingency funds, but once the structural integrity of the north wall, exterior footings and veneer walls came into play in June and July, the estimated cost to address these structural issues reached $750,000 to $950,000, with no guarantee that more issues might not be uncovered as construction progresses. This exceeds the initial amount budgeted for the upgrades alone. In a nutshell, the estimate to address the known structural issues as well as complete the upgrades in the original design now hovers at approximately $1.8 million. The estimate to construct a new auxiliary gym is $1.495 million.
Originally, the 2017-2018 basketball and volleyball games were to take place in the existing gym while the construction went on around it. However, with the structural issues that have been uncovered, the VHHS volleyball and basketball teams have been displaced to the red gym or to the Valentine gym for the 2017-2018 school year. Conditions for short term occupancy to allow the gym to be used for the August 2017-March 2018 are onerous. First, the contractors would have to shore the north wall and build temporary exits to avoid bracing. Then, occupancy would be prohibited if the wind exceeds 40 mph gusts or after an ice event or snow storm. This would be accompanied by monthly observations of the building by a structural engineer. Theoretically, weather conditions would have to be checked prior to any game, and our usual high spring winds could cause the game to be cancelled or relocated.
After reviewing all these issues, PSC recommends that the District consider the demolition of the existing gym and the construction of a new auxiliary gym. They acknowledged that the functionality of having two gyms was important to the community, both for practice, tournaments and community use. They also noted the importance of tying the past history and legacy of the VHHS gym to the future. To this end, the recommend that consideration be given to what can be repurposed and brought from an old gymnasium to a potential new gym, such as the scoreboard, brick emblem, gym equipment.
After the conclusion of the presentation, those in attendance were given the floor to make comments and ask questions. The primary concerns voiced were the potentials delays to the construction time frame, the possibility of being without a gym for two seasons, and where the money will come from. Those present were assured that the bond funds would stretch to cover any costs by using contingency funds and value engineering other components of the project to reduce costs in other areas. It was noted that the scheduled move-in date is January 2019. PSC stated that the completion of the educational section of the campus should not be affected by the gym. Trustee Paul Uranga stated that these issues have “placed us in a bad situation” in regards to getting the out-of-town teams to come back to Van Horn, and noted that with a 70-year-old gym, the architects should have anticipated these problems and addressed them up front. PSC responded that they had completed a “facility study” to base their recommendations upon rather than a “forensic study.” Trustee Rocio Apgar maintained that many were “losing sight of the main issue” noting that the “instructional part is key” and expressed concern for the safety of our students. She stressed that the Board “can’t get stuck on the auxiliary gym” but “needs to come to a decision and move on.” Trustee Angie Gonzalez suggested that as the plans for the gym progress, PSC and HBC consider completing the main gym before the auxiliary gym in an attempt to just lose one season of play on campus. The community meeting was wrapped up by asking anyone with additional questions to provide them in writing for follow up by CCAISD. The Community meeting was adjourned and Board members headed to the Board Room for the Regular meeting.
Editor’s Note: At the regular Board meeting of CCAISD, the Board voted to proceed with the demolition of the existing CCAISD gym and to build the new auxiliary gym in its place. Design and scheduling will be forthcoming. See article on the Board meeting for additional details.
