North Allegheny set to break ground on renovation, expansion of two elementary schools
The North Allegheny School District will mark the start of construction on a pair of major elementary school projects with groundbreaking ceremonies at the schools on Monday, March 25.
The groundbreaking ceremony for work at McKnight Elementary will take place from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. at the school located at 500 Cumberland Road in McCandless.
People attending can park at the school as well as at North Allegheny Intermediate School.
The work at McKnight Elementary include major changes to the site to reconfigure the area where parents drop off and pick up children, the addition of a canopy over the main entrance and relocation of play areas to make room for a 5,400-square-foot addition to house art classrooms. The building also is scheduled for significant renovations.
The last time major work was performed at McKnight was in 1999.
The school board voted on Feb. 27 to award five contracts totalling more than$17.1 million for the work. The largest contract — $9.96 million — went to the Nello Construction Co., which will serve as general contractor for the project.
A groundbreaking for the renovation and expansion of Franklin Elementary School will take place from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. The school is located at 2401 Rochester Road in Franklin Park.
Work at Franklin Elementary will nearly double the size of the building from its current capacity of 525 students to about 900 pupils.
The additional capacity is needed to accommodate growth, according to school officials.
Since 2015, the district’s enrollment has increased by 341 students, according to a report issued by the district outlining the findings of a a recent demographic study. The report anticipates that the district’s current enrollment of 8,496 students — the larges among suburban districts in Allegheny County — will swell to as much as 8,801 by 2026.
The school board awarded more than $27.5 million in contracts for the Franklin Elementary work during its Feb. 27 meeting.
R.A. Glancy & Sons Inc., which will serve as general contractor for the project, received the largest contract, $14.76 million.
People planning to attend either or both of the ground breaking ceremonies are asked to sign up online.
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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