Ground Broken on Buena Vista Schools, Largest Construction Project in County

Haselden Construction recently broke ground on construction of Buena Vista High School and McGinnis Middle School in Buena Vista, Colorado. The schools, located on a shared campus, are part of a two-phase project that will include construction of a new academic wing, renovation of the high school gymnasium and demolition and new construction of the remaining existing facilities. The project, a joint venture with Diesslin Structures Inc, has a projected budget of $41.5 million and is set to be the largest construction project ever in Chaffee County.

The project, designed by Chad Novak, principal at TreanorHL, is broken into two phases to minimize disruption for students and teachers. The first phase includes a new two-story academic wing, new administrative offices and a shared commons and library. The second phase will include demolition and construction of a new middle school gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium and STEM lab and art rooms, as well as renovations to the existing high school gymnasium. The total project, including the new construction and renovation of remaining structures, will be more than 134,000 square feet.

With much of the construction taking place during the school year, safety is the utmost priority. Haselden Construction worked closely with school administrators to:

• Construct temporary modular classrooms a safe distance from the construction site
• Set up barriers in the middle school parking lot to protect the modular classrooms and guide drop off and pick up
• Erect proper construction fencing behind existing buildings to create safe walkways for students and teachers
• Educate teachers, students and parents regarding Haselden Construction and Diesslin Structures’ logos and badges so they can properly identify workers

Both phases are scheduled to be completed in time for the 2020-2021 school year.