Pictured l-r: Architect Keith Solomon, Union City councilman Vince Williams, Fulton school board member Catherine Maddox, Union City Ralph Moore and councilman Brian Jones at the new Banneker High School.

School board member Catherine Maddox, Union City elected officials and members of the business community recently toured areas of the replacement Banneker High School. Being constructed on property adjacent to the current school, the new building will open in August.

Joining the elected officials were members of the Old National Merchants Association, Airport Chamber of Commerce, Airport Rotary Club and local homeowners associations. During the walkthrough, they each admired the school’s state-of-the-art design which includes acoustical features in the cafeteria and performance arts space to manage noise and also maple wood floors in some areas. The design uses as much natural light as possible and aims to create an open and spacious feeling for the students who will walk through the halls. Green features, such as light sensors to conserve energy, also are incorporated.

Architects showed off other design features, such as color-coded lockers to distinguish grade levels and how they are placed on one side of the hall to help with traffic flow. Science labs also are located on the second floor and are designed to serve as multipurpose classrooms. Also on the second floor, the school’s spacious media center resides in the center of the building to allow equal access to all areas of the school.

The 340,000-square-foot school was designed by the architectural firm of Gardner, Spencer, Smith, Tench &Jarbeau, P.C. and Doster Construction is performing the final phases of construction. When it opens in August, the new Banneker will be home to 1,300 students in grades 9-12 in 99 classrooms over five, campus-like academic and administrative wings.

The school will be substantially complete in June, allowing furniture to be moved in while summer staff report to nearby McNair Middle School while construction is finalized. Over the summer, the old school will be demolished to create student parking, multi-use fields and tennis courts. Future expansion plans call for a career technology wing in 2015.

(Source: http://portal.fultonschools.org/News_Room/Pages/ElectedofficialswalkhallsofnewBannekerHighSchool.aspx)

With each passing month we move closer to completion.  These aerials really let you see how much has been done.

Check out the lasted aerials photos of the job site. Things are really moving along.

The newest addition to the Muscogee county school district is moving along well.  Check out these recent news articles regarding the construction on the new school:

• Construction on new Carver High School is on schedule

• Carver High School’s taking shape, construction on schedule