Our New School: HHS Renovation

In mid-September, the Hamptonian staff got a tour of the new construction wing–and we were impressed! Hampton High’s Principal, Dr. Imbarlina; P.J. Dick’s Project Manager, Jason Day; and R.A. Glancy and Sons’ General Contractor, Gary Guzak walked us through all the exciting changes about to come to HHS. 

The Addition

At the end of E-Hall, you enter into a new expanded hallway. Directly ahead are the makings of a future classroom. To the left, you’ll find beautiful bathrooms being built with individual privacy doors. Following these is our favorite feature–a Starbucks-style café that will be home to the new Busy Bean!

On the other side of the hallways is a grand library with high ceilings that may remind you of something right out of Apple. Surrounding the open area are group “huddle rooms” with closable glass doors for you and your friends to enjoy privacy while you work. You’ll also find an improved IT help desk that will include student mentors, along with a new yearbook room equipped with celestial lighting (i.e. skylights) for a more natural feel.

The new addition will include not one, but two new hallways to reduce the traffic of the famously cramped H-hall. Connecting E and G, these will offer us students three total routes to get from one end of the building to another! 

The Team

It’s incredible how many people have been working on this project from its inception. Guzak estimated that there have been 20-70 people on site on any given day. From civil engineers who developed the storm water management system, to glazers building glass blocks, the project has employed hundreds. We’ve needed cement finishers, landscapers, operating engineers to operate heavy equipment, sign people, brick layers, drywall finishers, trim carpenters, and more. And the outstanding collaboration between the five contractors–general, roofing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical–all overseen by P.J. Dick, has been nothing short of exemplary. 

Exterior Changes

Are you curious what will fill the massive lot where the Gold Field used to be? While now it may look like a giant pile of dirt crowned with a trailer, in the future, it’ll be a new softball field!

As you may have noticed, the landscaping team is busy planting new trees and grasses around the school to create more green space. Their work is due to be finished by the end of October. In addition to the sidewalks already laid, a new plaza patio will be built like the one we’ve been enjoying out front. 

Construction Challenges

Not surprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges to the construction team. Some materials got stuck on ships off the coast of Florida, supply chain issues affected available steel, and so many concrete drivers had retired that they were tough to find. The contractors had trouble getting stone, lighting units were on backorder, the cost per square foot tripled, and the excavation work was slowed by rain. 

But with weekly coordination meetings every Wednesday, the District and its many contractors have worked out solutions. Amazingly, not only have they kept the project within its 22 million dollar budget, they are confident that the project will finish on time. Nodding at Dr. Imbarlina, Guzak told us, “I’ll be handing over the keys to her December 1st.” 

Next Steps

Once the contractors are done with their part, district personnel will be moving furniture into the new wing and preparing it for our use. To celebrate the project’s finish, Dr. Imbarlina will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony this winter. Members of the community will be invited to see all the good their tax dollars have done for Hampton’s students now and in the future. And in January, it’s all ours! 

What are you looking forward to with the new construction? We’d love to hear from you!