McCarthy Completes $42.5M Cape Girardeau Schools Program

St. LOUIS, Mo. — McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has worked closely with Cape Girardeau Schools since 2009 to plan, design and build $42.5 million of improvements for the Cape Girardeau, Mo. School District. The completed program includes a total of 154,422 square feet of improvements for eight schools.

The Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall at Central High School was the final project to be completed in this building program. The $7.3-million performance hall covers more than 23,000 square feet and has a combined floor-level and balcony seating capacity of more than 1,000.   Construction began November 2011 and completed in February.

Other program highlights include the new $7.9-million Franklin Elementary; the $2.8-million, 4,000-seat lighted Central High School Tiger Stadium; a
$3.6-million, 22-classroom high school addition; a $1.8-million junior high school library and $6.6 million of additions and renovations at four other elementary schools.   District-wide projects include fire alarm system replacement, a new security intrusion and surveillance system, integrated building automation controls for HVAC systems and $1.6 million in roof replacements.

“McCarthy provided the leadership and commitment needed to assist us with our bond projects at eight different sites,” said Cape Girardeau Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jim Welker.   “McCarthy provided the expertise and professionalism to successfully complete the projects in a timely manner.   They were responsive and dedicated to our district and we are thrilled with the outcome.”

Elementary school improvement projects were completed at Clippard, Alma Schrader, Jefferson and Beasley.   In addition, the new classrooms at Central High School, the new 58,000-square-foot Franklin Elementary, the library at Central Junior High School and renovations and addition at Central Middle School were completed in time for school last fall.  

“It was a pleasure to work with the district and their designers on this project,” said McCarthy Project Director John Heidbreder. “The board and the community appreciated that the majority of the labor was provided by local subcontractors and that those contractors met all schedule and quality demands while consistently keeping safety as a top priority.”