The three-story, 317,000 square foot high school and surrounding grounds is still on track for being ready to welcome students next fall. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Bob Olson, district director of facilities, infrastructure and security, said in the coming weeks, much work on the athletic fields will begin. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Concrete has been laid in the auxiliary gymnasium of the new Owatonna High School and the walking path that will run along the outside of both gymnasiums is nearly complete. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Bob Olson said he was proud of the layout for the locker rooms at the new high school, mentioning it will be beneficial for all athletic students to not have to vacate their respective rooms to accomodate out of town teams for sporting events. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Crews on the third floor prepare for exterior windows and drywall in the new Owatonna High School. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Crews have begun assembling the exterior brick on the front of the new Owatonna High School. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Projects are rapidly moving forward at the site of the new Owatonna High School. The site is almost unrecognizable from just a few weeks ago as crews have experienced optimal weather and little to no delays moving forward.
The three-story, 317,000 square foot high school and surrounding grounds is still on track for being ready to welcome students next fall. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Director of Facilities, Infrastructure, and Security Bob Olson said it is incredible how quickly construction has been moving along over the last several months.
“Things are still on time and on budget,” he said. “Everything changes daily. It’s amazing. The kids are going to get a fantastic education in this building.”
Bob Olson, district director of facilities, infrastructure and security, said in the coming weeks, much work on the athletic fields will begin. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Throughout the grounds, many of the sporting areas are underway with the varsity dugout masonry being started and irrigation of the athletic field, according to the construction update website. Fencing is also going up around the site and concrete throughout the fields. Four poles, goal posts and batting cages are also being installed.
Crews on the third floor prepare for exterior windows and drywall in the new Owatonna High School. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
Fencing for the stadium will begin next month and will go up around the respective fields. Asphalt for the walking paths throughout the fields will also begin.
Framing for the third floor walls and ceilings in the three story classroom have been completed, as well as stairways for all classroom areas. The roofing, exterior weather barriers and fireproofing on the top two floors have also finished, and the crews are beginning framing on the second floor and installing mechanical and electrical rough-ins and wall blocking for the third floor.
It is anticipated next month drywall work will start on the third floor, and the exterior windows should be installed. Floor slabs on the first floor will be poured, too.
Concrete has been laid in the auxiliary gymnasium of the new Owatonna High School and the walking path that will run along the outside of both gymnasiums is nearly complete. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
With the walking track and concrete slab already finished in the auxiliary gym, crews are working on preparing to do the same in the main gymnasium in the coming weeks. Structural steel in the fitness center is being put up, and instillation of the underground electrical rough-ins throughout the gym is underway.
Olson said they should be ready to start pouring the slab for the walking track by this time next month and rough-ins should be in the locker rooms.
“It’s all coming along so nicely,” he said. “The crews are working hard every day and they’re just doing an amazing job.”
Bob Olson said he was proud of the layout for the locker rooms at the new high school, mentioning it will be beneficial for all athletic students to not have to vacate their respective rooms to accomodate out of town teams for sporting events. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
As for the commons and cafeteria area, some of the concrete slabs have been poured in the cafeteria and Olson expects more of the area to be prepped and ready for concrete in a matter of days. Next month, crews plan to pour concrete in the main mechanical room and kitchen. They also plan to begin framing the interior of the commons area.
Over in the music wing, plumbing beneath the classrooms has started and structural steel is being assembled along with framing the exterior. In the coming weeks, smoke hatches will be installed in the auditorium and roofing can begin. Crews also anticipate the stepped seating in the auditorium will begin.
Crews have begun assembling the exterior brick on the front of the new Owatonna High School. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)
As for the existing high school, Olson said they are still working with FOHS LLC, and await the conclusion of the six month timeframe for an official proposal.
“We’ve given them everything they need to make their plans to move forward and most of our communication at this point is on an as-needed basis,” Olson said.
Olson said the district is moving forward on making their own plans for the portion of the existing high school they will retain for use as new district offices.
Reach Reporter Emily Kahnke at 507-444-2376. ©Copyright 2022 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Additional photos, renderings and information about the construction of the new Owatonna High School and existing high school can be found by visiting www.isd761.org and clicking on the "New High School" tab.
Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.
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