Nailed it! Construction hammers down final touches

With+the+theater+almost+squared+away+and+ready+to+open%2C+the+fine+arts+students+at+NC+wait+excitedly+construction+to+end.+The+band%2C+orchestra%2C+chorus+concerts%2C+and+drama+plays+can+finally+move+back+to+where+they+belong.

Turner Markwalter

With the theater almost squared away and ready to open, the fine arts students at NC wait excitedly construction to end. The band, orchestra, chorus concerts, and drama plays can finally move back to where they belong.

Turner Markwalter, Reporter

The construction of the new theater and gymnasium at NC, led by Evergreen Construction, has weathered through all the possible climate patterns of Georgia, ultimately delaying the construction processes of both the gymnasium and theater. Through ice, snow, and rain, the new buildings in construction have experienced weather delay after weather delay.

“If there is any kind of precipitation, they have to stop working because some of the machinery doesn’t go well with water,” assistant principal Stephen Revard said.

Not only can the weather push activity back for construction, the crew uncovered a massive piece of granite underneath the site for the new gymnasium, making the process even more difficult and lengthy.

“We had to dynamite it out, and when you dynamite something, there is a ton— and I mean a ton— of paperwork that has to get signed. We had to get the special meters to put around the blast site to ensure no houses or anything else would be harmed,” Revard said.

With the professionals dealing with the blasting of the granite slab, Evergreen moved the gymnasium crew up to the theater to ensure the theater would finish construction on time.

“We’re hopeful that the theater gets done early so all the workers can move over to the gym and get that finished up quick,” Revard said.

While the theater appears complete from the outside and inside, it needs to acquire final certificates to make the deadline of the end of the month, in time for the March concert.

“All we need is to acquire the certificate of occupancy and it will be done. We were hoping to already be in there, but weather set us back,” Revard said.

Turner Markwalter
The construction crew works hard to finish the gym by their April deadline. After the theater crew completes their project, they will move down to the lot and help finish up the gym.

The gym looks more and more like a functional gym everyday, and most students think optimistically about the finished product of the new gym.

“I just want to be able to use the new gym and theater. Hopefully it’ll be done before I graduate,” senior Christian Tetrault said.

Even with all of the setbacks that construction faced, the end of the school year should see the completion of both buildings.

“The date for the gym to be finished is the end of the April, and they’re currently in the process of getting the electrical wiring and plumbing squared away throughout the building,” Revard said.

Hoping for no more setbacks, the construction crews for both the new gym and theater will continue to work diligently to fulfill the completion dates.