Greenbrier was the last of the five expansion projects that were originally planned four years ago. Everything, and we mean EVERYTHING went as smooth as we could have hoped. This was a complete team and community effort. From the hard work of our Department of Facilities Management to manage these projects, to the vision of our Board of Education to acknowledge our space need and address it, all while working closely with our Business Department to be responsible to our tax payers, everyone played a roll.

Our Department of Personnel and Planning worked to very accurately predict our growth and this helped us plan the proper size of the projects.

Thank you to the Arlington Heights community (especially the individual school communities) who were patient and supportive during these past four years of planning and construction. These projects will add value to Arlington Heights for years to come.

 

Greenbrier's expansion project has had a great spring, and is now looking forward to summer. This project is ahead of schedule for the spring, and now requires only a few workers a day to complete the tasks ahead. On May 10, there was one worker, installing the ceiling tiles. That should be done by the end of this week.

 

Next week, the floors will be installed, and after that the cabinetry will go into the classrooms. By the end of this month, the classrooms should take true form.

 

Once the summer hits, work begins on the interior of the existing building. Renovation of restrooms and the front office, along with plumbing work will take place once the students and staff leave for the summer.

 

New equipment for the north side playground will be installed this summer, and the asphalt on the north end will be repaved. The Early Childhood playground will be built on the south end of the building. Ten new parking spaces will be added to the existing southwest parking lot, as well.

 

This project is smooth and steady! We can't wait for students and staff to get into these spaces next year!

 

The Greenbrier expansion project, set to give the Greenbrier community a two story addition, adding four new classrooms and meeting/office spaces, is ahead of schedule and right on budget. It's a breeze.

Currently, the windows are being installed and will be by the end of this week. The ceiling tiles will go in next week, and then we all play somewhat of a waiting game. Because the project is so ahead of schedule, there are few things that can be done before the next step.

That next step is to install the cabinetry and shelving in each classroom and office space. Once that is done, the flooring will go in (carpetry and tile). That should all be finished by the end of May.

Then, the workers hit the summer, hard, and venture to the exsisting building. Restrooms will be updated, the front office is set to be rearranged, and the exsisting building will be connected, mechanically and physically, to the expansion.

A new Early Childhood playground will be installed as well as a new K-5 jungle gym and a re-paved blacktop on the north end of the school.

Ten new parking spaces will be created as well, as a result of this expansion project.

All is going well! Stay tuned for more!

 

A lot of progress has been made since the last time we checked in with a video. The Greenbrier expansion project, adding four classrooms and various meeting/office spaces, is scheduled to be completely ready for teachers and students on the first day of the 2018/2019 school year!

 

The rooms are starting to look like a classrooms!

The painting primer is complete. The ceiling grid is installed. Today and over the next few days the lights will be installed and then the final touches on the ceilings will be put into place.

 

Currently: The floor is being mitigated, which meas, sealed, leveled and prepped for the installation of tile and carpet. Once both levels have mitigated floors, the tile and carpet will go in. Then, the fun starts inside the classrooms! Cabinetry, marker boards, projectors, shelving, etc. will be installed, as the classrooms take shape.

 

 

Currently (continued): The exterior brick is getting a washing as we wait for window delivery so they can be installed. That should happen by the end of March.

 

 

The project feels almost done, right? Well, there are things we need the summer for. In the summer our parking lot will be expanded at Greenbrier, adding 10 spaces. Also, the two north side playground areas will get a facelift. New jungle gym equipment will be installed over the summer, and the blacktop pavement area will be fitted with new asphalt.

 

Of course, last but not least, they will connect the addition to the existing building by opening up the wall that is currently sealed off.

 

*Video courtesy of Janine Feil, Tech Facilitator at Greenbrier.*

 

Hi Arlington Heights and the Greenbrier community! Since we have last checked in, a LOT has happened with the four classroom, two story, Greenbrier expansion project.

 

Interior masonry is ongoing and should be done within two to three weeks. The roof is now water tight which allows for the mechanical/electrical/HVAC trades to begin to install their equiptment.

 

In the next couple of weeks you will start to see the outside tarp come down and the exterior brick go up. Drive by to watch as the building forms!

 

The windows are expected to arrive and be installed sometime in March.

 

This project is really good, both on time and on budget. In fact, according to our Director of Facilities, Ryan Schulz, it is perfectly on time.

 

The expansion is expected to be ready by the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

 

Once the summer hits, the interior projects to the existing building will begin. Greenbrier will experience a restroom renovation, some plumbing and lighting work and a front office reconfiguration.

 

Here are a few pictures of what the second floor looks like:

 

 

 

Hi Arlington Heights. We just wanted to give you a quick update on the Greenbrier expansion project before winter break. If you were to drive by GB, you would see that the steel structure of the expansion is going up now. Once that structure is complete, the workers can really hit the ground running with many different aspects of the project.

 

Next week, they plan to start masonry work on the first floor, and that will continue through mid-January. Then the workers will pour concrete on the second floor so that the masonry work can begin there.

 

In about two weeks, you will see construction beginning on the roof.

 

Here are some current photos of the project:

 

 

 

 

 

The Greenbrier expansion project is off to a great start. It is currently projected to finish on time (by the first day of school next year) and on budget. As a review, this two story addition will give four new classrooms, three to four ancillary group/teaching spaces that could also be used as offices, ten more parking spaces and a new Early Childhood playground.

What's new?

The project broke ground in mid-October, as expected. The foundation and underground plumbing is complete.

What's to come?

The steel for the structure of the addition is expected to arrive and begin going up this, if not this week, early next week. It will take two to three weeks to get the steel structure of the addition in place. Then, the masonry work (brick and cement block laying) will begin simultaneously with work on the roofing. 

Once the steel is up, then the project starts flowing and moving relatively quickly. Parents and community members will start to see the addition look more and more complete from the outside.

Inside, the electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors will just be getting started. That work is expected to begin sometime after the New Year.

What will the spaces be used for?

The official meeting on these spaces will happen sometime in the spring, but, as of right now, Principal Bingaman and Assistant Principal Kaffka anticipate the two lower classrooms will be used for one of the lower level grades (kindergarten, 1st/2nd grades and maybe early childhood). The anticipation is that the second floor classrooms would be used for the upper level grades (3rd, 4th or 5th). This can change at any time.

 

 

 

 

Greenbrier Elementary

At the District 25 School Board meeting last Thursday, the construction bids submitted to expand Greenbrier were unanimously approved. This means that the project has gone through all of the correct levels of approval (Village Plan Commission, Village Board, District 25 School Board) to now begin construction.

What new spaces is Greenbrier getting?

When this project is all said and done, Greenbrier will have four brand new classrooms located in a new south wing. This two story wing will also contain three to four ancilary group/teaching spaces that could also be used as offices.

Outside the building, the expansion will add a new Early Childhood playoground and ten more parking spaces to the south, west lot off of Roanoke Drive.

 

 

What exsisting spaces will be improved at Greenbrier?

The timing of this project works well as Greenbrier has exsisting building projects due that were included in the bids approved on Thursday night. It made sense to tackle these projects such as new roofing for a number of sections, air handler replacements throughtout entire building and energy efficient lighting improvements along with the expansion project.

The exsisting building will also see a new playground for the main building built.

What is the timeline for this project?

Friday, September 29 - Fencing goes up.
Week of October 2 - Prep work to begin.
Mid October - Groundbreaking on addition/expansion.
Summer 2018 - Work begins on the interior.
First Day of School 2018-2019 - Entire project is complete and ready for students.

When will I start to see an impact as a parent? What will it look like?

On Friday the fence will go up for the project. Bobcats and small equiptment will be on site for prep work beginning next week. 

The traffic proceedure for drop-off and pick-up remains unchanged at this time.

The EC playground will be temporarily closed during construction but the building is making accomidations for EC's outdoor time.

The new spaces at Thomas Middle School and Windsor Elementary School hosted their first students ever on Monday, August 28, and there were smiles across the board!

Below are two videos taken on the first day of school, detailing some fun aspects of the expansion projects at both schools. You can also scroll and find pictures of the new spaces.

 

Thomas

The Thomas expansion project went super smoothly. The addition of 7 new classrooms (including a band room, music room and drama room), a new gymnasium, a new front entrance and an expanded commons area were all available for full use when the students stepped foot into Thomas on Monday.

The building is brighter as more natural light can now find its way down the hall ways and into different rooms.

A BIG thank you to the TMS staff, students, parents and surrounding community for their patience and support. Arlington Heights has provided its youth with an inspiring space to learn and grow in.

 

Windsor

Despite a tight timeline of just over five months (this project broke ground in late March of 2017) the Windsor project was completed on time and on budget, and because of this, the students were able to get in and explore their new spaces on the first day of school.

This project added onto/doubled the size of their gymnasium, it added a new wing to the building that houses five new classrooms and new meeting spaces for staff, and it expanded the commons/lunch area to comfortably house a growing student body. The positive energy was flowing at an even greater rate than normal on the first day, and that is because of the dedicated and supportive Arlington Heights community that gave these Wildcats their new space.

A BIG thank you to the Windsor staff, students, parents and surrounding community for their patience and support. Arlington Heights has provided its youth yet another inspiring space to learn and grow in.

 

 

Photos

New front entrance at TMS.

New band room at TMS - there is a new drama and music room as well.

 

New gymnasium at TMS.

New gymnasium at Windsor.

 

New wing at Windsor with five new classrooms and new meetings spaces for staff.