The Moorhead School Board heard an update on the construction of the district’s new schools from Dan Kleist, Gehrtz Construction Services, and Brian Berg, Zerr Berg Architects, at the Nov. 28 meeting.  

The footings and foundations for the grades 5-6 school, now named Horizon Middle School West Campus, are complete, and concrete floors on first floor have been poured, Kleist said. Second floor slabs will be completed after the building is enclosed.

Work continues to finish the remaining masonry bearing walls needed to erect the structural steel. Doorframes are being installed as the masonry walls are erected. Structural steel is on site for the classroom wings, the administration wing and gymnasium areas, Kleist said.

Framing of interior and exterior walls is underway in the south classroom wing and administration area. Mechanical and electrical systems are being roughed in as walls are erected. Plumbing under-slab work is completed. Metal roof decking is complete on the music rooms, gymnasiums and commons area.

The softball and baseball fields are half graded with the rest to be done in the spring, Kleist said.

Permitting delays at the state level pushed the project about six to eights weeks behind schedule, but a couple weeks have been made up because of the nicer fall weather, Kleist said.

“We are in a pretty good position to keep the process going,” he said.

Once the building is enclosed, the interior work can move forward.

“In about late February to early March we’re going to have 50 to 100 workmen on the job site,” Kleist said. “It’s going to be a very busy place come spring and summer.”

At the K-4 elementary school, now named Dorothy Dodds Elementary School, both the concrete footings and foundations and the slab work is complete on the first floor. The masonry bearing walls are completed, and steel erection is completed in most classroom areas, Kleist said. Roofing work has started in the classroom areas.

Exterior wall framing was nearly complete with the goal of being done in the classroom wings by early December. Mechanical and electrical rough-in work continues. Structural steel erection in these areas will follow the framing work.

The exterior site grading is nearly complete, with final grading and sidewalk work to be completed in the spring of 2017, Kleist said. The west and south parking lots have been completed.

“We’re confident in opening this building come the 2017-18 school year,” Kleist said. “As long as we keep on gaining the ground we have been gaining, we’re looking good.”