The contractor for the Hill School, CTA Construction, said in a letter this week that it plans to work cooperatively with the City to finish the school, and that it faced unforeseen obstacles that delayed the construction.
“Late last year, CTA agreed with city and school officials to ensure the new school was available for the start of the 2015-2016 academic year,†read the letter from Project Executive Jeffrey Hazelwood Jr. “Some unforeseen conditions had necessitated a revision to the original project timetable. No one could have anticipated the need to remove unsuitable soil from the site, as well as some other changes.
“Through teamwork and a commitment to opening for the new school year, we overcame the obstacles,†he continued. “We all understood the school would still require some finishing touches this fall, but agreed it would be ready for occupancy. We are committed to wrapping up any loose ends as quickly as possible and with as little disruption to classes as possible.â€
Supt. Emeritus Paul Dakin, who is overseeing the project, said the City is looking to cooperate with CTA and so far, things have been going well.
“If they continue to address all the issues and work in the partnership we have now, they understand they can deliver the product we always wanted,†he said. “I do think the concerns we had are being addressed with a much higher level than they were in the past. They’re making huge efforts to catch up in time and address our concerns.â€
School and City officials were none too happy when the Hill School opened on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and a good deal of work still had to be completed. School officials said they expected to have the product delivered in finished form by Aug. 17.
Construction crews have been working in the evenings after school and in the overnight to complete the work.
