Groundwork underway at Jordan HS for Careers

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Construction is moving along at Jordan High School for Careers, with groundwork underway in preparation of the new building’s foundation.

The $42.4 million project is a part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools.

Drilling is underway on piers that will help hold both the foundation and structural steel in place, project officials said. Additionally, the installation of underground plumbing and electrical systems will begin in the next couple of weeks, and the foundation will be poured toward the end of the year.

“It’s nice to know we’re still on track,” Jordan Principal Ross McAlpine said, referring to the minimal impact Hurricane Harvey had on the construction process. “So far, so good.”

Project plans call for a new 120,000-square-foot building that will accommodate 600 to 800 students. The students will spend part of the day at their home school and part of the day at Jordan, where they will participate in specialized hands-on career training. The new building will feature specially designed spaces for training and instruction in auto/diesel, health science, construction management, cosmetology, early childhood development, culinary arts, marketing/entrepreneurship, electronics, and welding. Quieter programs will be located on one side of the building, while louder courses will be on the other.

The first floor will consist of administrative spaces and construction tech classrooms, while the second floor will contain a human science wing with allied health and medical biotech programs, as well as math classrooms and a video production lab. A large learning staircase will be located in the center of the school to provide a flexible learning commons for studying, impromptu lectures, project work, or career exploration programs.

Construction is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2018. After students move into the new building, the existing facility will be demolished to make way for a parking lot.

Bond construction is underway at more than two dozen campuses in HISD. Almost 50 percent of bond projects are now complete and open to students. Once all work is done, HISD will boast of one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.

Follow @Build_HISD on Twitter for the latest construction updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.