News Sports Opinion Photos Social Classified Obits Contact
 
 
 
Photos by Kyle Thornton

Bring in the concrete

By Michael Butler

It took 4.3 million cubic yards of concrete to build Hoover Dam. A road from New York to San Francisco could have been paved with that amount.

The new Tallassee High School will not need near is much, but it will take a lot. Last week, concrete trucks started arriving in the middle of the night to begin the process of laying the foundation.

"I apologize for our neighbors' sleep deprivation. When you're pouring that much concrete, you have to start very early. Progress is being made."

Nolin

Nolin said the process of "selective demolition" of the high school is scheduled to begin in June.

"We're retaining 5,000 bricks for future use or sale as mementos."

17 portable classroom buildings already occupy the band field on the back side of the campus. Another building will have restrooms.

"We have 11 classrooms in the annex still in use. We'll have a couple of classrooms in back of the old gym. We'll be there until anticipated - September of 2022."

The new high school construction will come in two phases, Nolin added.

"The (644-seat) auditorium and band complex (will be) first and the academic building second. Cumulatively we're on schedule."

The gyms, cafeteria and annex will be preserved for now.

"You can build new classrooms on to the new structure relatively cheap. If we experience growth, which I anticipate and hope we do, then we'll be able to build those on. You could build 14 on the footprint of the new academic building. You could demolish the annex and have new building space."