A striking-looking building with lots of windows, red cladding and a round silver silo for high school fine arts programming is rising next to Centennial secondary school, and by fall it will be home to approximately 1,300 students.
It's one of three projects under construction — or soon to be — in School District 43 to replace older buildings under the province's seismic mitigation program. Another, a new school for Burke Mountain, in the works to accommodate students moving to the community.
Of the four, Centennial, a $50-million project, is the furthest along, with contractors working quickly to get everything in place for opening day.
"It's going to be tight to get everything completed for a September opening," said Ivano Cecchini, SD43's assistant secretary-treasurer for facilities and planning services, who said the interior work is well underway while the outside cladding is still being worked on.
When it's complete, the 12,200 sq. m school will have classrooms with flexible learning spaces for student and teacher collaboration, a library next to an amphitheatre that can be used for band and choir concerts and outdoor learning, as well as a teaching kitchen, shops for metal work, automotive and carpentry, and a 220-seat theatre.
The project is being built in two stages, with a neighbourhood learning centre built after students have moved in and the old building is torn down. One of the existing gyms, however, will be retained.
Cecchini could not confirm what agencies will locate in the neighbourhood learning centre, noting that negotiations are still ongoing.
Other SD43 construction news:
MOODY MIDDLE
Most of the excavation work for the $24-million Port Moody replacement school — which is to be a school with an arts focus — is complete and about half of the concrete is in place. The project is on track for the winter of 2017.
SIR FREDERICK BANTING MIDDLE
SD43 is seeking building permits for the project. The plan is to begin partial demolition of the existing Banting building to make way for the $22.5-million school this summer. Work is also required to do power separation between Banting and nearby Miller Park elementary this summer with construction to begin on the new building this fall.
SMILING CREEK ELEMENTARY
Houses on the Burke Mountain property that will be the school site have been demolished and building permit applications have been submitted. The district already has pre-qualified contractors that will be able to bid on the project when it goes to tender. Environmental setback and other details for the $20-million school are being worked on, too, Cecchini said.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Smiling Creek elementary may be the unofficial name of the long-awaited Burke Mountain school, but it's not the official name. In fact, a name has yet to be chosen and the public can have a say. As many as 12 names have been submitted so far but more are welcome, with the board of education making the final selection. Email your ideas by April 21 to [email protected]
