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U-46 reports construction progress at Hawk Hollow, Kenyon Woods and Kimball and explores geothermal, stormwater and solar
Summary
District staff gave updates on four priority construction projects, announced a July 30 ribbon cutting at Hawk Hollow Middle School, described stormwater detention vaults, and said geothermal and solar are being incorporated or explored at multiple new and renovated sites.
District operations staff updated the Board of Education July 21 on construction and sustainability work tied to the UniteU46 facilities program, reporting progress at Hawk Hollow, Kenyon Woods, Kimball and the new Elgin middle school site and outlining integrated stormwater, geothermal and solar plans.
Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent of operations, said Hawk Hollow’s conversion from an elementary to a middle school is in its final phase: crews are finishing interior work, the gym and cafetorium stage lights are installed and low-voltage systems are being tested. Williams said staff have already begun moving furniture and equipment into the building. She announced a ribbon-cutting for Hawk Hollow Middle School set for Wednesday, July 30 at 5:30 p.m. at 235 Jacaranda Drive in Bartlett.
Williams described heavy construction progress at Kenyon Woods, where roof work and interior trades are beginning after the project reached permanent power. Kimball Middle School was characterized as the district’s most logistically complex renovation; Williams said demolition and foundation work is being staged to minimize disruption while instruction continues. For the new Elgin middle school, Williams said mass-grading permit approval from the city of Elgin allowed crews to begin topsoil stripping, shaping and building-pad preparation; foundation work was on track to begin ahead of schedule and stormwater retention systems were expected to go live the week following the update.
Brian Lindholm, chief of staff, described three sustainability components the district is incorporating: underground stormwater detention vaults ("storm traps"), geothermal heating and cooling systems and rooftop solar.
On stormwater, Lindholm said the district has installed an underground detention vault at Kimball and plans an even larger vault—more than three times that capacity—at the new Elgin middle school site to meet the City of Elgin’s stormwater ordinance and reduce downstream runoff.
Lindholm described planned geothermal installations for several UniteU46 projects, including the new middle school and a new elementary school in Elgin as well as renovations at Century Oaks Elementary and Glenbrook Elementary. He explained that geothermal requires a field of deep borings and that soil and subsurface samples are taken to confirm a site’s suitability; such buried loops can be placed under parking lots or fields in other districts, he said, but subsurface testing is necessary before proceeding.
On solar, Lindholm said designers are exploring panel integration at the new elementary on the former David C. Cook site. He noted a sawtooth roof design would provide strong south-facing surfaces for panels and said solar could offset a substantial share of electricity costs—"as much as 60 to 90 percent," according to the presentation—while payback estimates in the slides ranged from about six to ten years.
Williams also said the district will begin a community school-naming campaign for the new Elgin middle school in August and invited public nominations and input. No board vote was taken on the construction or sustainability update; the presentation was informational.
