October 13, 2014

Orcas starts $12M makeover of school campus in Eastsound

Image from Mahlum [enlarge]

All of Orcas Island’s schools are on a single campus. The elementary is on the left, the high school is on the top right, and the middle school, commons, gym and music buildings are in the center.

Orcas Island's sole public school campus is getting a three-phase makeover, funded by an $11.9 million bond measure passed in 2012.

The K-12 campus is at 557 School Road in Eastsound, and has 380 students.

Last summer general contractor Tiger Construction finished underground work and now is starting new construction and remodeling in the first phase.

The old library, called Building 200, is being remodeled for the middle school, with four classrooms, two small group rooms and an office. The library was temporarily relocated to a new modular building on campus.

Tiger should have roofing installed by the end of the month and is expected to finish Building 200 in December.

Phase one also includes a music building addition on the north wall of the gym that will connect to an existing stage. It will have a band room with instrument storage, practice rooms and a workroom. The addition should be done in February 2015.

The final part of phase one involves demolishing Building 300 at the back of the high school to create space for 4,200 square feet of new classrooms for art, applied physics and a wood shop. That space should be done in February.

The second phase should start in December. Building 100 (the old middle school, stage and cafeteria/commons space) will be remodeled to create a library, technology lab, IT work room and office, cafeteria/commons, conference room and culinary arts classroom.

Phase two should wrap up in August 2015.

The final phase is site work and road improvements, including a new drop-off loop. It is scheduled from mid-June to August of 2015.

No improvements are planned to the Milton Building (the elementary school), except for a new coat of paint. The Milton Building once housed all of the island's students.

Orcas Island School District is the owner. Design team members are: Mahlum, architect; 20/20 Engineering, civil; Travis, Fitzmaurice & Associates, electrical; Metrix Engineers, mechanical/plumbing; Coughlin Porter Lundeen, structural; Cascade Design Collaborative, landscape architect; SSA Acoustics, acoustical; Rider Levett Bucknall, cost estimator; Bundy & Associates, food service; and Liz LeRoy, owner's representative.

Major subcontractors are Orcas Excavators (earthwork), Diamond B (mechanical/plumbing), High Mountain (electrical) and Axiom Roofing.