Maintenance underway at Peninsula High School pool building

Work is underway on replacing the brick facade with metal siding on the north, west and south sides of the pool building at Peninsula High School.

The replacement was necessary from a safety standpoint, according Patrick Gillespie, the Peninsula School District’s director of facilities, when it was discovered that the support system holding the brick facade in place had deteriorated. Consultation from both a mason and a structural engineer confirmed that the brick would need to be replaced and metal siding was chosen both for cost and for aesthetics.

“The idea is to try to get the buildings to blend together as one campus,” Gillespie said. “It’s like siding on a house. It keeps the weather from the interior.”

The project began June 20 and substantial completion of the project anticipated for Aug. 21, with the project set to be fully completed by the beginning of school in the fall.

The total cost of the project is $484,236.59, plus tax, and is being completed by Washington Patriot Construction, a Gig Harbor company.

The project was funded with both levy dollars and funds from the general budget, though large repair projects are typically funded by bonds to reserve levy dollars for classroom experiences to benefit students.

Another project underway this summer is a roofing project on Discovery Elementary to finish the two sides of the building, after a 2009 roofing project on the center of the building.

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Maintenance underway at Peninsula High School pool building."