Faced with an ever-growing student population, the Olentangy Local School District set out in early 2016 to have a fourth high school built and occupied by the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
According to Public Information Coordinator Devon Immelt, Berlin High School is on track to open its doors in time for the first day of the new school year on Aug. 15.
“There have not been any significant hiccups to date,” he said. “The weather early on was great, which was where we had the most risk.”
In addition to construction being on schedule, the project continues to proceed along under budget.
“The portion of the March 2016 levy/bond issue that is funding the school’s construction was $69.6 million,” Immelt said. “The total bid for the building came in at $68,969,218 or about $580,000 under the original estimate for the bond.”
Located at 3000 Berlin Station Road in Berlin Township, the new home of the Berlin Bears is approximately 70 percent complete.
“If you were to drive by the site, you would now be able to recognize it as an Olentangy school as its design is similar to Liberty and Orange high schools,” Immelt said. “It is really exciting to see the progress.”
As for the 30 percent of the building left to complete between now and August, the major projects include finishing HVAC installation, flooring, painting, and installing finishes.
“The building is mostly enclosed, and the crews will work through the winter,” Immelt said. “There are crews working on different projects simultaneously. They are currently focusing on getting the permanent heating, flooring, painting, and ceiling tiles installed.”
Once the weather breaks, crews will turn their attention to completing various outdoor projects like laying asphalt and all the landscaping work, he added.
As far as the outdoor athletic fields are concerned, crews will be out in full force within the next several months to have everything ready for fall sports.
“The stadium field is installed, and the practice fields and baseball/softball fields were seeded in the fall,” Immelt said. “The school’s athletic logo will be added to the field in the spring.”
At a date to be determined, Immelt added, the district will host a ceremony prior to the school officially opening to students.
For more information about Berlin High School, visit the school’s website at www.olentangy.k12.oh.us/Berlin%20HS.
