The Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees approved an additional $790,000 to the $2.8 million budget for the renovations the Turlock High School West Gym, also known as the “Girls' Gym” after construction crews found dry rot behind a layer of plaster on the front corners of the structure.
Last summer renovations began on the Turlock High School historic Girls' Gym and the project was expected to be completed before the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, however the additional work will add more time.
“The work will add about three weeks,” said Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Mike Trainor. “This building is nearly 100 years old and a landmark in the community and we are trying to get it done by next summer and not going into the next [school] year.”
Trainor explained that construction crews will essentially peel back a layer of exterior plaster to get an accurate picture of the extent of the dry rot damage. This procedure alone will cost $225,000 and as of now it is estimated the cost to repair the dry rot will be $565,000.
The renovations to the Girls' Gym include not just an exterior overhaul, but also new locker rooms, new restrooms, new floors and a new scoreboard.
The Girls' Gym renovation, along with the Performing Arts Building renovation, represent the final phase of a six $7.5 million renovation project to THS facilities via a General Obligation Bond that was passed by voters in 2006 for $49 million for 10 different school remodel projects. Of the $49 million, 60 percent is funded by the state and 40 percent by the school district.
