New schools going up in Provo
About 1,200 students will attend the 2 elementary facilities this fall
Officials with the Provo District and city of Provo toured the construction sites of the new Timpanogos Elementary and Lakeview Elementary schools on Wednesday afternoon.
"We want a high-quality school that is also a bargain for the taxpayer," said Provo District Superintendent Randall J. Merrill.
The two new schools are part of the district's $35 million bond referendum, which voters approved in June 2006.
The old 1938 Timpanogos Elementary, 449 N. 500 West, Provo, is being replaced by a three-story modern structure.
Demolition began last June, with construction ensuing shortly after, in August. The project is expected to be finished by Oct. 15 this year. District officials are predicting 600 students for the school.
The 69,000-square-foot school will cost $10,400,000. The building was designed by Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects out of Salt Lake City.
October was the original completion date for the project. The weather didn't cooperate, but work is on schedule, district officials said.
Lakeview Elementary School, 2899 W. 1390 North, Provo, is a $10,870,000 one-story structure that spreads out to take up 74,000 square feet. Construction began in February 2007. Doors will open in time for an estimated 620 students this fall. The building was designed by Sandstrom Architects of Orem.
Lakeview Elementary principal Drew Daniels led the city and district dignitaries on a tour through the school, which is awaiting furniture. He said the building seems empty and he is excited to welcome the children in a few months. "You put some kids in it this fall and this will be a really special place," he said.
Earth-colored bricks of different textures line the hallways. The floors are designed with lake-like colors of blue, green and brown. "We try and create a building to match the decor of the neighborhood," said Phil Lott, district director of facilities. The area is near Utah Lake.
The school is fabulous, said Provo City Councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett. "It's like our new community center. We haven't had a place that anchors our neighborhood," she said. "Now, with the school and the park coming, our neighborhood feels like they have a place they belong to."
Concerned parents are asking for a traffic light at 1390 North and Geneva Road so students can cross Geneva Road safely. The Utah Department of Transportation is doing a traffic study of the area before a decision is made. "I'd like to err on the side of caution and get a light in there," Hall Everett said.
The Provo District is working in conjunction with the city to create a 13-acre park adjacent to Lakeview Elementary. Depending on the bid process, work on the park could start this summer and be finished around summer 2009.
The park is proposed to include a variety of amenities depending on how bids go. It could include two tennis courts, multi-use fields, various playgrounds and looping pathways. There is to be a restroom, picnic tables, benches and trash receptacles. A small and large picnic pavilion are planned. There would also be a large grass berm that could be used for sledding in the winter or playing in the summer.
Provo's nine-acre segment of the park would take close to $1 million from its capital improvement project fund.
The Provo District is planning to spend $15,000 to $20,000 on its four-acre segment of the park.
Logan Simpson Design Inc., based in Salt Lake City, was hired by the city to create the master plan for the park.
E-mail: astewart@desnews.com
Recent comments
What money was wasted? The $1.95 for the floor tiles?
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To :Norm | May 9, 2008 at 10:05 a.m.
Orem Parent have you ever been to the area where the new Lakeview...
TJ | May 8, 2008 at 2:47 p.m.
Your photo brings up a question. Why do we waste education money...
Norm | May 8, 2008 at 2:28 p.m.
