Construction for new District 7 school about 30% complete, contractor says

Construction of the new Williston Basin School District 7 school is progressing, with JE Dunn reporting the project is roughly 30% complete and several building areas advancing simultaneously.

Bridal Anderson of JE Dunn told the board steel erection in core areas A and D is nearing 70% complete, the gymnasium slab and roof are in place, and windows are installed in several wings. The contractor said area E (the north wing) is furthest along, with roof, underground mechanical and concrete slab work complete and interior wall framing approaching 50 percent. The project team reported about 60 workers on-site daily.

“Overall, the project’s about 30% complete,” Anderson said. “We picked up 3 to 4 percent in the last month and still tracking around that 30%.” She added MDU utilities and the electrical transformer installation were in progress for the month and that key stakeholder walkthroughs and media access are planned soon.

Nick Lippert of JLG Architects said the planning-and-zoning design review committee recommended approval of exterior signage and the monument sign; the item is scheduled for a June 16 planning and zoning hearing. Lippert and JE Dunn representatives said quality-assurance/quality-control reviews have found no major issues and that more MEP consultants will be on-site as trades move into first-place work.

Board members reviewed the schedule for stakeholder walkthroughs and were advised to wear closed-toe shoes and hard hats for the site visit. Contractors said they will provide additional updates and return to the board as the project reaches future milestones.