PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Nearly all of the mechanical and exterior work is complete and the focus at the new Taconic High School is transitioning to painting and finishing.
The $120.8 new school has been under construction for just short of two years and is on track to be completed this summer. Workers broke ground in March of 2016 and the building's target completion date is July 1. In July and August, the equipment will be moved into the new school and shortly after, the demolition of the current building will begin.
The project is being overseen by Gilbane Construction and Skanska USA and some 137 contractors were on site this week.
Upon entering the main entrance, a hallway to the left features the nurse's office and early childhood care classrooms and to the right are offices for guidance councilors, principal, and other staff.
The auditorium is enclosed, sitting right after a yet-to-be-installed welcome desk. The sloped floor for the auditorium seating is currently being graded after the overhead work has been completed. Outside its entrance, a grand staircase will soon be installed leading to the media center.
The auditorium is located on the westernmost side of the building, next to the gymnasium. In the gym, painting has been completed and the next step will be the installation of a partition and eventually the floor. The locker rooms are being painted right now (one locker room on the first floor and the other right above it on the third floor).
Across the hall from those spaces is the cafeteria. That has some of the equipment already installed. To the north, on the other side of the cafeteria, is the culinary arts kitchen and classroom. Between the two there will be a cafe for the students to serve the food they made in the program. Beyond culinary will be cosmetology.
On the second floor of the eastern side of the building, the arts, a computer lab, health and spaces for the medical program have all new lighting and flooring has been installed. Ceilings and floorings throughout is a focus right now.
Many of the floors throughout the upper levels of the building have been completed and are now covered for protection. Tiling, painting, and other wall finishes are also well under way and two of the three elevators are completed — with third being completed this week.
Painting is ongoing throughout the building and a large number of electricians are on site.
Gilbane has structured the work to start on the upper floors and move downward. The academic classrooms on the third floor, on the eastern portion of the building, are pretty close to being done. The second and first-floor classrooms are trailing slightly behind.
The academic classrooms are arranged in pod-like fashion. The classrooms in each pod are arranged in a half circle off of the main hallway and surround teacher's offices and a shared common area. The science labs are across the hall, with views of the mountains to the south.
The shops are on the first floor in the eastern portion of the building and shop classrooms are located across the hall.
Furniture has all been chosen and ordered.
iBerkshires has been following the construction since the beginning. Below is a slideshow from each visit. The slideshow is in chronological order since the start of construction.
