Significant progress marks first year of construction and renovations on district-wide facilities project

Driving into or even past the Niskayuna High School campus reveals the substantial changes underway there. It has been nearly one year since the Niskayuna school district broke ground on its extensive $94.5 million construction and renovations project, the lion’s share of which is transforming the high school’s landscape both internally and externally.

Geothermal: a naturally energy-efficient alternative
Outside, drilling of the 300 geothermal wells required for the high school’s new geothermal heating system is 90 percent complete. Rigs have been drilling the geothermal well field, adjacent to the high school entrance off Balltown Road, since late September. To date, 270 wells have been drilled. Crews are expected to finish the wells, each 400 feet deep, in four to five weeks. Meanwhile, installation of the network piping is approximately 40 percent complete. The geothermal vault, which houses the pipe headers, valves and other components, has also been constructed.

New wings taking shape
Behind the high school, work continues on the new library/media center and the two-story classroom addition. Structural steel is in place for the new library/media center.
Crews will pour concrete for the slab floor in early May. The masonry firewalls are up and the exterior wall, facing the courtyard, has been constructed. Crews will begin interior masonry work once the slab has been poured. The new library/media center is expected to be complete by December 2008.
Steel sections of the two-story wing have been erected, and the metal deck has been installed. Crews are scheduled to begin pouring the second floor slab the following week.
The new boiler room addition, at the front corner of the building, is enclosed and weather tight, and the concrete slab flooring has been poured. Crews are preparing to install new boiler equipment and an electrical panel. New boilers will become operational when the new library/media center comes on line later this year. Exterior finishes on the boiler room addition will be applied in late summer or early fall.
Construction also continues on the small music addition (or pop-out), adjacent to the new boiler room. This area has been enclosed and the concrete slab has been poured. Crews are framing the rooms, installing drywall and working on temporary finishes, such as lighting. Once the power and data lines are installed, the future music rooms will be used as temporary classroom space while renovations and construction are completed on the new two-story addition.

A new classroom at Craig Elementary School awaits window installation before the finishing touches can be applied.	A new classroom at Glencliff Elementary School is nearly complete.

New windows installed in Craig classroom addition
At Craig Elementary School work on the new four-classroom addition nears completion. New flooring tiles and casework has been installed in each classroom, and crews recently began installing windows. The curtain walls facing the courtyard have been framed. Once the windows are in place, finishing work can begin.

Architect's "punch list" hints that Glencliff additions nearly ready
At Glencliff Elementary School, the two new classrooms additions on the north and south ends of the school are all but ready for occupancy. Windows and doors have been installed, casework and finishes are complete. All that remains is to run through the architect’s “punch list” to make sure all work meets the specifications of the contract. During the walk-through inspection, the district’s architect will compile a “punch list” of items that the builder must complete. Once the punch list items are completed, the five new classrooms will be utilized as temporary swing space while the school’s existing classrooms are renovated.

Steady progress on VA’s infrastructure
Mechanical system change-outs continue on electrical and HVAC systems. Summer will mark the beginning of science room classroom renovations. The Home & Careers classroom will relocate while science classroom expansion begins.

Phase II of project set to begin this summer
In May, bid documents for general work, heating, electric and plumbing at the high school were sent out to contractors to solicit bids Contracts for abatement, which will begin during the summer at Iroquois Rosendale, Birchwood and Hillside, will be awarded in the next few weeks.
During summer recess, ceilings in most of the high school’s corridors will be taken down to begin renovations and get infrastructure in place for new heating and electrical systems. Once the new classrooms in the two-story addition are ready for occupancy, the classrooms in the existing building will be renovated. Each wing of the building will be temporarily relocated into the new two-story addition while these renovations occur.
Grading for the new parking lot is expected to begin in June once the geothermal well drilling and piping is completed. The new parking lot and most of its accessory sidewalks will be completed by September.

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