HAVERHILL — The destruction and subsequent reconstruction of the main parking lots at Haverhill High School is now underway, and the project is expected to be completed by the middle of next month.
Workers began demolishing the main lots where students and faculty park last Monday, said Jeff Dill, the school maintenance chief who is overseeing the exterior renovation of the campus. Those people are now parking in a temporary lot near the swimming pool building, he said.
After the main lots are stripped down, they will be coated with asphalt binder, temporarily striped and returned to use as parking until school lets out in June. Over the summer, the redesigned lots, with about 25 percent more parking, will be given a final coat of asphalt, Dill said. The new lots will then be landscaped and new lighting installed.
The campus renovation and the installation of a new electrical system inside the high school are the final phases of the now 6-year-old, $32 million renovation project.
The redesign of the grounds also includes new driveway entrances and exits intended to put an end to traffic jams during dismissal. Outdoor lights and new access roads for emergency vehicles are also planned.
Dill acknowledged that the work, which began last month, is a large project. It involves tearing up much of the school grounds, redesigning the driveway for improved and safer traffic flows, and expanding and rebuilding the parking areas closer to the main building. But he said everything has gone smoothly so far.
The plan, Dill said, is to finish all of the exterior work around the start of next school year. To meet that deadline, a lot of work has to be done during this school year, he said.
"It's too big a project to get it all done over the summer and finished by our goal of October. That's why work is being done now," he said. "The contractor will be on the site all winter to hit the target finish date."
Inside the school, workers are preparing the building for the installation of a new electrical system.
"We're running wires and preparing for summer, when the ceilings will be returned over the new wiring and the new generator will be installed," Dill said.
The renovation was designed to address concerns raised in 1998 when the New England Association of Schools and Colleges threatened to revoke the high school's accreditation. The state is paying 70 percent of the $32 million cost, with Haverhill picking up the rest.
Neither Dill, Mayor James Fiorentini nor School Committee President Scott Wood said they had heard about any complaints that the exterior work was disrupting classes.
Wood said the building committee overseeing the project will be coming to an upcoming School Committee meeting to provide an update. Fiorentini said the last outstanding issue to be decided is whether the tennis courts that were demolished will be replaced.
Final phases of high school renovation
Renovated and expanded parking lots for faculty and students
A new driveway with separate entrances and exits for cars and buses
New electrical systems to provide computer capability in every classroom
Outside lights, including in parking lots
New lockers for students
New generators to provide emergency power
New floor tiles and paint
A new Haverhill High School sign
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