CGS construction enters next phase
<span>CHESTER -- In a sense, things are going to get a lot crazier around Chester Grade School this week.</span>
<span>The water remediation part of the $5.85 million project, intended to prevent the same erosion problems that caused the condemning of the CGS Gymnasium in the first place, has been completed.</span>
<span>Lead contracter Fager-McGee Commercial Construction of Murphysboro, will begin installing temporary fencing this week and a truck turnaround will be constructed on the school's front lawn.</span>
<span>The lawn will also serve as a staging area for equipment and supplies. An Aug. 7 meeting has been scheduled to update school officials on the timeline of the project.</span>
<span>"I think it's going pretty well so far," said Chester District 139 Superintendent Chris Diddlebock. "Everything's moving pretty quick and I'm still working with the Capital Development Board on the paperwork."</span>
<span>The Capital Development Board is contributing $4.4 million of the cost of the project from Gov. Pat Quinn's "Illinois Jobs Now!" program, with the rest coming from the school district.</span>
<span>"(Fager-McGee) wanted to get the fence up, take out the blacktop and start putting footings in for the gym as soon as possible," Diddlebock said.</span>
<span>Diddlebock said the original bid, from Red Dot Construction and Equipment, for the water remediation was just under $450,000 and lower than the budgeted portion of the project. That enabled the district to add a few small items off its wish list.</span>
<span>"We added on to part of the parking lot since Red Dot is doing it," Diddlebock said. "There was also a big tree that needed to come down because the ground underneath it had eroded, stuff like that."</span>
<span>The gymnasium and its adjoining classrooms was condemned in July 2012 due to foundation shifting and cracking from excessive rainfall in April 2011. Added to the school in 1962, the gymnasium served roughly 650 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades.</span>
<span>The water remediation project was intended to remove existing groundwater from around the building and build a retention pond in the woods behind the school.</span>
<span>With the beginning of fall registration on Aug. 4 rapidly approaching, Diddlebock said keeping everybody separated will be a "major challenge."</span>
<span>"We're going to make sure our kindergarten hallway is clear for the year so that people can easily get in and out," said CGS Principal Tim Lochhead. "We are going to have our open house on the day before school starts (Aug. 18) from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., but I don't know if we'll have it for the whole school.</span>
<span>"I think it will be for the younger grades only because of our parking situation."</span>
The target date for completion of the overall project is July 15, 2015.