Contractors have pre-construction meeting Wednesday, set schedule for completion

Construction on the new Hartselle High School on Bethel Road will begin shortly after contractors met with Martin and Cobey Construction during a pre-construction meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting signifies the beginning of the construction on the high school.

Jim Maynard of Martin & Cobey Construction said Phase 1 of the construction is complete, which is the sitework and preparing the pad for the school and parking lot constructions. He said the purpose of the meeting was to get with the other contractors on the project to set a schedule of milestones for project completion.

However, Maynard didn’t want to give any dates of completion Monday night when he addressed the Hartselle Board of Education. Part of the problem is that contractors have missed previous milestones due to weather and other issues.

“We don’t want to set some false dates until we’re more certain,” Maynard said.

The school was originally set to open in the fall of 2012, but delays have pushed that date back.

The $40 million high school is being funded by a $22 million loan from a state stimulus fund and $18 million that was borrowed by the City of Hartselle.

All of the construction projects except the auditorium’s theatrical lighting and sound system, kitchen equipment and landscaping have been awarded.