Skip to main content

Construction at school ramps up this week

Subhead
Portion of 50-year-old addition removed, June 20 groundbreaking makes it official
Lead Summary
, , , , , , , ,
By
Mavis Fodness

In a matter of days, a portion of the Luverne Middle-High School was demolished and officials ceremoniously broke ground.
Wednesday afternoon, June 19, Gary Henning from Henning Construction of Adrian used an excavator to begin removing a portion of the two-story west wing to make way for the commons, media center and performing arts addition.
The addition will join the elementary and middle-high school together.
Workers from Gil Haugan Construction of Sioux Falls spent weeks sawing through the reinforced concrete beams and brick veneer for Henning to cleanly break the classrooms without damaging the rest of the building.
By late Thursday afternoon, the two story portion (originally constructed in 1965) lay in piles of rubble and rebar.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place Thursday night.
About 50 community members attended the event.
Superintendent Craig Oftedahl was the only speaker for the brief ceremony. He reflected on the project.
“We are almost three full years into this project, with two more years to go,” he said. “We eagerly await the finished project and look forward to providing education in Luverne for years to come.”
Long-range facility planning began in early 2016 with a focus on improving the now 63-year-old middle-high school facility.
Board members approved an $8 million levy for health and safety improvements in November 2017, followed by a voter-approved $22 million referendum. The levy focuses on improving the building’s safety and security and creating a centralized commons, collaborative learning environments and a new performing arts center. In addition, work will be done to refresh, refurbish and remodel the entire building that was constructed in three 10-year segments in 1955, 1965 and 1975.
The new construction will wrap up by summer 2020.
The project was delayed in late 2018 when bids came in over budget. Board members decided at that time to reject all bids and try again.
The second bid process resulted with bids within budget.
Oftedahl acknowledged the public’s role in the project at the groundbreaking.
“Thanks to our community for their tremendous support and recognizing that strengthening the school as a community asset was something they felt strongly in to invest in the future generations of students and to keep learning as a fundamental core value of this great community,” he said.
Also thanked were the companies who were hired by the district for the project: ICS Consulting, JLG Architects and Gil Haugan Construction.
Oftedahl also expressed appreciation to the board of education and the students (five student council members participated in the groundbreaking ceremony).
“They are the reason we are here,” he said. “They have had a hand in helping shape what this project will become. They are also the future and why this investment is made.”

You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.