Another historic moment for the Bartow County School System as the last steel beam is now ready to be placed atop the new $30 million Mission Road Elementary School!
During the topping out ceremony, Carroll Daniel Construction, the Bartow County Board of Education, Executive Cabinet, and staff at MRES signed the beam. It will be raised into place next week, completing the building’s frame. Following an ancient construction tradition, two tree branches are fastened to side of the beam during this process.
“The ceremony is an age-old tradition,” said Bartow County School System Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page. “This is a special time to celebrate the hard work that has been done since we broke ground in November. All footings, slabs, precast concrete panels, steel columns, beams, and decking are complete. We are excited to continue this progress and officially open its doors next August.”
“Now that this portion of the project is finished, we can focus our efforts on installing the building envelope, including brick, exterior insulation finishing system, windows, roofing, etc.,” said Zach Nicholson, the project manager at Carroll Daniel Construction. “The main mechanical and electrical systems in the building are already well underway. Once those are complete, we can move into installation of drywall, paint, and other finishes on the interior of the building while the rest of the site continues to develop.”
Demolition of the existing MRES will take place over the summer of 2024. At that time, the remaining parking lot and drive lane construction will be in progress.
“So much of what goes on in constructing a new school happens behind the scenes and even underground,” said MRES Principal Sherrie Hughes. “We know that the building materials are the bones of the school building, but our students, teachers, family, and community stakeholders are the heart of the school. By allowing our staff to sign the beam, our names will forever be part of the foundation of this school.”