Under Construction
75% of J.C. Booth was renovated over the summer.
Construction was still being done after school began.
August 23, 2021
In the summer of 2020, construction on Booth began. The goal is to transition the building to a housing college and trade school. Mega Construction, the company renovating the school, started in the West Wing. The West Wing is the newer part of the building and a smaller, more manageable portion to fix. The first phase of the renovation was completed in time for the 20-21 school year. In the second phase, everything except the media center was renovated, since the library calls for the library to be thoroughly gutted and stripped apart. This space will be used for the Audio Visual Technology and Film (AVTF).
Interviewer Cameron Manning spoke with a reputable source about the state of the building on the first day of the 21-22 school year. Workers were on-site “14 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “The average number of people on site per day was roughly 125-175.” The average shift for a construction worker is 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Whilst working almost double the amount of time from dawn to dust, the area of space that had been refurbished is 75,000 square feet. To put this in perspective, the White House Floor Plan is 54,900 square feet, making the renovated area an astonishing 20,100 square feet larger.
Typically, a project this size takes 3-4 months to accomplish. However, due to the time constraints, Mega Construction had to confirm that the students and staff could safely return to the building in 7 ½ weeks or less. There have been many rumors and complaints circulating the school that the construction workers did not get everything done. Some comments made were that the finalized product was inferior. Ceiling tiles and molding in various parts of the school were missing, and work on the classrooms and so many other areas of the school were still under construction after school hours. Many people did not know that Mega Construction had accomplished a great deal over a tight time frame. From the roof to the tiles were gutted. The punch list was enormous with repainting, plumbing fixtures, ceiling grid, tile repairs, lights, roof replacement, an entire HVAC system, and a plethora of other items that were replaced in 7 1/2 weeks. Education continues, and the faculty and students are safely working on campus. At the same time, the county and Mega Construction are “working on a punch list of things” to be completed specifically for the next tenant.
Ashley Allum • Nov 9, 2022 at 2:28 pm
The building of J.C Booth is outstanding. The efforts and time put in to help out is also extremely impressive. In the article, it states, “Workers were on-site “14 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.” All in all, I believe this process was a flawless success. I also believe they managed their time well. This amazing school was prepared for the new year. It was not only fit to handle so many kids at once comfortably, but also it was changed and improved. For example, the layout is so much easier to navigate through than the older Booth. This article talks about the construction process and how much effort there was to help out.
addisyn walker • Apr 29, 2022 at 10:45 am
The construction on JC. Booth middle school went very well over the summer. Almost everything was upgraded. Things were painted, doors, windows, and walls. Most of all, was the upgrade of the gym. The construction workers did an outstanding job. But I think it was unfair that the workers were constantly working all summer, and not enjoying their vacation. But I think it is truly amazing that they constructed the whole west wing in 7 and a half weeks. That’s very impressive. Not to mention how big the West wing is. They did a very good job in getting the whole school ready before all the students came back from the summer. My opinion is they should get more money for what they do.
Sonny Wilmarth • Apr 22, 2022 at 10:28 am
The construction went very well
But it was very unfair to the construction people they were working for more than half of the day for the whole week. They replaced and constructed the West Wing in 7 and 1/2 weeks. When it should have taken 3 and 1/2 months.
But I think for them to build a good part of the building that fast. I think they did a very good job of doing that fast. They should honestly get a raise.
Fabrisio Ortez • Feb 23, 2022 at 10:50 am
I feel as if progress is going well.
Seeing that construction is still going on but in a small but steady pace, I feel as if it should finish by the end of summer vacation 2022. Though I don’t see many construction workers working on Booth still I feel as if they are still working. As they have refurbished around 75’000 square feet I feel like the progression should finish up.
The punch lists of items ranging from plumbling to roof replacement. Many of the punch list have seemingly been completed, this including repainting, plumbing fixtures, ceiling grids, and tile repairs.
Stunning progress has been made, and I feel once more that it should be finished by an early August 2022.