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Groundbreaking postponed at Indian Creek

WINTERSVILLE — Groundbreaking ceremonies are on hold, for now, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but construction plans remain on target for Indian Creek Schools.

Officials initially set an event for Wednesday at Indian Creek High School to mark the beginning of construction of a new high school and elementary school along with renovations at Hills Elementary in Mingo Junction. However, Superintendent T.C. Chappelear said the issued closures caused by the virus have shelved that plan.

“That’s been postponed indefinitely with a date to be announced,” Chappelear said.

In the meantime, the superintendent said preparation for the new building projects continues. Work has already begun to clear the way for the creation of Cross Creek Elementary at the current district office location along Bantam Ridge Road in Wintersville. A portion of the present structure has been razed and an access road will be formed to construct the new school.

“Demolition is moving along at Bantam Ridge and it’s almost completed at the north end of the building,” Chappelear said, adding that an entrance will be created to the worksite. “We will be preparing the site for the foundation to construct the new school.”

School district leaders were accepting bids for all three projects and said actual groundbreaking was still eyed for April.

The new Indian Creek High School will be erected next to Kettlewell Memorial Stadium while the present ICHS and Wintersville Elementary are still in use. For that reason, officials were reviewing the traffic pattern, and safety fencing will be placed at the worksite.

Hills Elementary will be refurbished with new windows, roofing and classrooms as well as plumbing, heating and cooling improvements. The two new schools will be constructed simultaneously with renovations at Hills being concurrent.

Sol Harris/Day Architecture Inc. of North Canton is completing designs for the three buildings and the estimated $63 million project is being done in collaboration with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. The sites should be ready for the fall of 2021 with the older school buildings to be razed the following spring.

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