FHS Construction Update - 5.07.12

Fine Arts / Student Commons Area: On the inside of the Performing Arts/Student Commons building, the installation of final finishes and treatments is continuing. Doors have been installed in many of the rooms, and the band instrument lockers have been set in place in the band practice room. The ceiling has been installed in the student commons area and the installation of the “cloud” ceiling in the Fine Arts Auditorium is continuing.

Athletics / Administration Area: Most of the wall partitions for the administrative and counseling offices have been completed, and the exposed structural members in the competition arena and the adjacent practice gymnasium have been painted. On the exterior of the Athletics/Administration building, installation of the metal skin has continued on the building and on the awning that forms the covered walkway which spans the entire length of the Phase I buildings.

NW Quad / Academics Area: Construction of the foundations for a key space on the east side of the campus, adjacent to Buchanan Street is pending, awaiting the submission of information to the City by the project's civil engineering team.

Archived "Did You Know?" Section

• Did you know that there will be 18 retractable basketball backboards and goals in the new Athletics/Administration building? Installation of the retractable supports, backboards and goals in the competition arena and practice gymnasiums is almost completed.
• On most days, 80 to 100 construction workers are on the job site, of whom the vast majority are Northwest Arkansas residents. These workers buy food, fuel, and other items from businesses located close to the project, creating a positive economic impact for Fayetteville.
• Did you know that the stone being used to clad the lower sections of the new buildings' exterior comes from a quarry near Mena, Arkansas? The stone color is known as "Smokey Mountain Blue" and one of the characteristics of this particular stone is a subtle change in color that will occur as the light changes during the day, complementing the color and texture of the exterior metal panels. This product also contributes to the acquisition of LEED Certification points because it comes from within a 500-mile radius of the job-site.
• Did you know that the FHS campus stormwater runoff detention system, which is required by local, state, and Federal statues, is located below ground level, underneath what will soon be the visitor/staff parking area and central courtyard, adjacent to MLK Boulevard? The detention system, which is a series of very large interconnected concrete boxes, regulates the flow of the water that crosses the campus and then enters the City's stormwater system, preventing the stormwater system from potentially being overloaded during heavy rain events. The capacity of the underground detention system easily exceeds 500,000 gallons of water. Locating the system below ground level allows better utilization of the campus for academic buildings and outdoor gathering area for students.