Glenbard High School District 87 board approves Glenbard West High School science addition

GLEN ELLYN – Glenbard Township High School District 87 approved a $10.5 million contract with Walsh Construction Co. on Aug. 10 to proceed with building a new science wing addition at Glenbard West High School.

The total expected cost of the project is $16.5 million, which will be funded through referendum bonds and the district’s operating budget.

The $10.5 million will be divided, with about $8.9 million going toward the construction of the addition and $1.6 million going toward interior renovations, which will include having six science labs converted to eight general education classrooms to help with overcrowding.

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing work for the project will cost around $5.7 million and will be handled by Performance Service Inc.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Chris McClain said there will be some logistical challenges moving forward as the school is an urban campus on top of a hill.

“We want to make sure the construction site is secure and safe so workers can do their job,” McClain said.

Some of the challenges presented include how to handle bus traffic as buses enter from the west side of the building and exit on the east side, where construction of the addition will take place.

Two proposed solutions, according to McClain, are building a fence that would be monitored by a gatekeeper who would allow buses to pass through, or possibly changing the route of the buses.

The school district also has worked to appease community members who have expressed concern about preserving the George Zahrobsky Botanical Garden at the east end of the school, where the construction will happen.

“I feel like we’ve listened and we have acted,” McClain said. “Some of the community members that were really worried about it, I hope they appreciate the work that we’ve done.”

Some of that work includes the relocation of an emergency generator, which originally was expected to go on an outside patio, but now will be stored inside the science addition’s mechanical room. This will reduce noise, save some of the trees around the area and will keep the generator from being worn down from outdoor elements.

Moving the generator inside also will allow the district to shift the retaining wall and cooling tower closer to the addition, which will save trees and reduce the amount of hill excavation required for the project.

Members of the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club also performed a plant rescue from July 24 to 26 and saved around 500 plants from the George Zahrobsky Botanical Garden.

Overall, board members are excited to continue with the project, which is pivotal to the start of a 10-year master facility plan for all District 87 schools that will include $100 million in work.

“It’s well-needed,” District 87 Board of Education President Rich Heim said. “A state-of-the-art science space was absolutely identified as part of the master facility plan and necessary.”

The district plans to break ground on the project within the coming weeks, with completion of the project expected by August 2016.