ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82
August 20 2014
65
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXVI • No. 17
31
45
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
65 98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Augusta Evans Opens Doors for Disabled Students By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
After more than a year of construction, special needs students in Mobile County, Ala., will soon be heading to a new school. In August, Augusta Evans School officially re-opens its doors, at a location in west Mobile that will better serve each child. The special needs school is reportedly the only one of its kind in the area. “The decision to build a new school was based on our needs assessment,” said Tommy Sheffield, facilities manager at Mobile County Public School System. “Being one of the older schools in the district, Augusta Evans was in bad shape. It serves the handicapped, but the old location was never designed to be a special needs facility.” Augusta Evans, which serves special-education students from pre-kindergarten through age 21, was formerly located on Florida Street in Midtown between Old Shell Road and Spring Hill Avenue. A groundbreaking on the new school’s campus at the now demolished Hillsdale Middle School took place in November 2012. The $12.5 million project was set for completion by fall 2013, but construction delays forced the work to stretch into 2014. The new facility on Cody Road is more than 80,000 sq. ft. (7,432 sq m), and features a donated, state-of-the-art playground and two greenhouses. It also includes a custom-built shelter that can withstand an F4 tornado. The shelter is designed to house all the children and staff at one time in one area. In June, staff members began the move from the old location. Classrooms have been boxed up in hopes of a smooth transition when students return from summer vacation. Sheffield said the new school can better accommodate children with severe, and in some cases, extreme disabilities. Construction crews made certain the school’s features comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, including lighting that turns on through motiondetecting sensors. “The sliding glass doors automatically open,” said Sheffield. “The halls are a lot wider, to give the children enough room to change classes and walk up and down with-
Scott Roberson, Mobile Public Schools photo
Holmes and Holmes Architecture adapted the site to the playground and helped place and make changes to the grade and the drainage system, according to Nick Holmes, Jr., partner of Holmes and Holmes Architecture.
out being cramped, whether they’re in a wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair or a walker. Each classroom has customized sinks, and there are restrooms built-in, so an aide or teacher doesn’t have to take the student down the hall.” The structure is one level with an attached multipurpose building that includes a gym, cafeteria, kitchen and library. Two very large greenhouses also were constructed on site, using an aluminum frame with two layers of polyethylene cover. Each was installed over a combination of stone and concrete floor. The greenhouses are designed to be adapted to a specific site, so that foundation can be put in, along with proper erection. “We met with our Special Education team, and Dr. Shelia Martin was instrumental in helping us visualize the future,” Sheffield said. “There aren’t any schools I’m aware of in the state in public facilities to serve special needs. Mobile County already has a school set up for the deaf and blind. Augusta Evans is another step in raising the bar.” Sheffield said building an entirely new school at a new location is more cost-effective and will last for decades to see AUGUSTA page 2
Scott Roberson, Mobile Public Schools photo
Crews ran 3,500 linear ft. (1,066 m) of concrete curb and gutter and roughly 3,500 linear ft. of new storm drain HDPE pipe, according to Jerry Gordon, project manager.