By Stefanie Jackson – The design phase of Northampton’s high school and middle school building project has reached 45% completion, with construction expected to be finished three years from now.
Both the Northampton board of supervisors and school board were updated on the project’s status last week by Dane Seagle, a project manager for the Skanska construction firm.
Skanska has offices across the U.S., including in Virginia Beach, and is known locally for the original construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Northampton High School building in Eastville, which also is home to Northampton Middle School, will undergo a major overhaul, including demolition of most of the original 1954 building, renovation of the remaining structure – including the 1978 addition, and all-new construction.
New construction will include a middle school wing in front of the existing school building facing Courthouse Road and a separate gym for the middle school.
Other additions will include a new cafeteria with an operable wall that can be kept closed to provide middle and high school students separate dining areas or opened for special events, and a new auditorium.
Waller, Todd & Sadler of Virginia Beach, the architectural firm that conducted the structural investigation of Northampton High School and recommended areas of the facility for demolition or renovation, is also designing the building project.
Waller, Todd & Sadler’s design team is holding weekly meetings, in which Skanska representatives are participating.
The design is expected to be finalized in February 2022. Bids are expected to be received in March 2022, with a contract award to follow in April 2022.
Construction should start in June 2022 and last approximately two years.
Students will continue to use the existing cafeteria and auditorium until the new cafeteria and auditorium are built on the opposite side of the current school building. No part of the school will be demolished until after its replacement has been constructed.
The project is expected to reach substantial completion in May 2024 and final completion in June 2024.
Northampton middle and high school students would start the 2024-2025 school year in the fall in the newly remodeled building.
