Work underway on major school school demolition & reconstruction.
Demolition started today of the 85-year-old former Mackenzie High School on the campus located at Wyoming and W. Chicago streets in southwest Detroit. It will take demolition crews approximately 16 weeks to level the 223,000-square-foot vacated structure that was built in 1927.
A new $21.8 million PreK to 8 School was built at 9275 Wyoming Street on the campus that includes the old high school structure, the athletic field and Hammerberg Playfield. It will open to 1,200 elementary and middle school students this fall.
Mackenzie PreK to 8 School is one of three DPS new-construction schools to be completed this year, totaling more than $100 million investment that will provide some 3,000 students with brand new learning environments and replace older facilities. The new schools and demolition of former school structures are part of the $500.5 million DPS Capital Improvement Program.
The new school has a large open media center serving the needs of the school’s middle and elementary students. The building design focused on student safety and is environmentally-responsible through the adherence to national standards set by CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The minimum goal is set at a Silver LEED Certification.
Detroit-based Adamo Group, Inc. was awarded the $984,910 contract to abate, oversee the demolition and complete site work at the former Mackenzie High School.
The DPS Capital Improvement Program is in the third and final year of construction, demolition and improvement projects. Demolition at Robeson and the old Mumford schools are scheduled to begin next month. The program also included demolition of seven other closed schools including the old Earhart, Chadsey, Munger, Gompers, Finney, Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, and the former Cass Tech.
Program manager for the Bond Construction Program is Walbridge Joint Venture, which includes Brailsford & Dunlavey, Walbridge, and Fanning Howey.
Detroit voters approved Proposal S in November 2009 which enabled the district to access $500.5 million for school capital improvement projects. DPS received the sixth largest allocation in the nation.
The improvement program also includes technology upgrades and security initiatives being funded with Proposal S dollars. To comply with federal guidelines, all bond dollars must be spent within three years and all projects must be completed by September 2012.
