Early Childhood Center (ECC) Construction

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Early Childhood Center Construction photo gallery

Progress updates:
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December, 2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
July, 2008

What will the Early Childhood Center look like?

For a virtual 360-degree video tour of the ECC exterior through your web browser, click on the link below. (Note: requires web browser or client software that plays WMV files; is a large file, allow time to download.)

Early Childhood Center - July 2008 Video of Exterior (WMV, 38 MB)

Progress Updates

August, 2009

• The stone base for the floor slab has been completed for the west half of the building. Electrical conduit was laid under the slab. The floor slab is scheduled to be poured near the end of August.
• Plumbing work is complete for the west half of the building; installation continues on the east half.
• Areas of the site were seeded to help prevent soil erosion.

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July, 2009

• Site grading is in progress.
• Site utilities are complete except for storm line extensions at bioswales.
• Parking lot stone placement, electric rough-in and parking lot edge seeding are scheduled for this month. Seeding will stabilize the soil on the site and should cut down on the amount of dust.
• Concrete foundation work began July 7 and is now complete.
• Plumbing work has begun within the building area. Plumbing is extensive due to each set of classrooms having its own sinks and toilets.

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June, 2009

• Excavation and grading continues for the building slab and foundations.
• Water main connection and site utilities are complete.
• Parking lot stone was scheduled to start.
• The weather and soil remediation has put the project 8-10 weeks behind schedule. However, this does not jeopardize completion of the project before the start of school in 2010; the project will probably be completed that summer rather than in late spring, 2010. 

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May, 2009

• Wet conditions continue to delay progress, threatening to push back the original project completion date. Lamp will continue to monitor the schedule.
• A change order to remediate soft soil under the site of the ECC building will be reviewed by the Facilities Committee. The amount of soft soil significantly decreased at the north end of the building area.
• The water main tie-in across Rockbridge was completed and backfilled to open the road for traffic.
• Excavation and grading continues for foundations and building slab. Connections to storm and water lines are in progress.

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April, 2009

• The building site was laid out and site grading work was begun. Rain has hindered excavation work.
• Site fencing was installed.
• The playground was removed.
• After a public hearing, City staff approved landscape variances sought by District 203: bioswales will be substituted for islands in the parking lot, parking lot screening will be reduced to increase visibility of the park and playground; District 203 will add parkway trees and provide landscaping screening along the north and northwest sides of the parking lot.

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March, 2009

ECC Groundbreaking - March 18, 2009

Naperville School District 203 and Wight & Company held a groundbreaking celebration for the new Early Childhood Center on Wednesday, March 18, at the site in Huntington Estates. District 203 Board members, elected officials, students, staff, community members and representatives from architectural firm Wight & Company and construction manager Lamp Incorporated were in attendance.

"As an educator, I am most excited about providing a better learning environment for our youngest and most vulnerable students," noted Superintendent Dr. Alan Leis. "I am also thrilled with the cooperative relationship we have established with the Huntington Estates residents, who have helped shape the project. The residential look of this project is definitely going to enhance the surrounding neighborhood."

"From concept to final design, the development of the Early Childhood Center has been a close partnership between the Board of Education, administration, faculty and community," said Kevin Havens, Sr. Vice President and Director of Design at Wight & Company. Each played an important role throughout the design process in helping Wight shape this remarkable facility for the District's youngest students."

See the news story "Early Childhood Center groundbreaking held March 18" on this site for additional details and photos.

More items from March:

• The Early Childhood Center is currently under budget (with all bids approved) at $10.8 million.
• An email was sent to area homeowners describing initial steps in construction and the approximate schedule for the project. 
• Lamp and the excavating contractor began layout of the building site. Partial site fencing was installed. 
• Wight worked on presentation materials to share with state officials regarding economic stimulus package funding opportunities for the ECC.

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February, 2009

• The design team met with the City of Naperville regarding storm water.
• A meeting to discuss landscaping was scheduled.
• The design team met with ECC staff to review technology requirements. Budget pending, the group discussed providing electronic whiteboards and audio enhancement for classrooms.

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January, 2009

• Wight completed construction drawings.
• An informational meeting was scheduled to show final exterior finishes to ECC-area homeowners.
• Meetings were held o finalize playground plans and information technology layouts within the building.
• Wight and its engineers met with District Operations and Maintenance staff to review the heating/cooling, electrical and plumbing system design.

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December, 2008

• Wight and District 203 met with ECC staff to review playground equipment, interior design details for the play area in the lobby and the reading area in the library.
• Wight continued to work on final construction drawings.
• An environmental grant was submitted to DuPage County by Wight.
• District 203 began work on the scope of furniture purchase work.

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November, 2008

• Wight progressed with the construction drawings.
• A meeting was held with the playground vendor, Nu-Toys, to review revised playground options.
• Most interior finishes have been selected; details of carpeting and the accent wall in classrooms are still being refined.
• Wight reviewed site work comments from the City of Naperville.
• Wight scheduled a meeting with the Commissioning consultant, who will review the mechanical system for compliance with LEED certification requirements. The Commissioning consultant will be involved in the design and construction phases. A key role of this consultant will be to work with the contractor and District staff to see that the mechanical systems are turned over properly to the District for operations.
• Wight began the process for LEED certification.

October, 2008

• Wight presented design sketches showing more material details and received feedback from District staff.
• Technology requirements for classrooms were reviewed.
• Wight reported the status of sustainable grant applications to the Steering Committee. Two applications have been submitted already, with a third to be submitted in January, 2009. It was stated that without successful grant applications, the District will not be able to attain LEED certification.
• Wight incorporated comments from staff and neighbors into the drawings from the final design development review.
• Wight delivered the Design Development book for distribution to the Board.
• The members of the design team conducted interviews and reference checks for the selection of the LEED Commissioning Agent. This consultant team member will participate in the final design and construction process, with an emphasis on the design, installation and operation of systems that meet LEED standards. The Commissioning Agent is required for LEED Certification. The team agreed to negotiate with the Commissioning Agent for a minimal amount of work in the next several months, until the District determines the outcome of environmental grants.
• Wight is planning to proceed with the Construction Document drawings, pending Board approval of Design Development.

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September, 2008

• Wight and the District staff met with all ECC departments, to review the floor plan, including furniture and cabinetry layouts. The recurring need of the ECC staff is for adequate storage. Wight will refine the plans based on the substantive feedback that the ECC staff gave at the meetings.
• ECC staff are working with Wight's Interiors Group to develop a full furniture inventory.
• District 203 has issued a Request for Proposal for LEED Commissioning services. The LEED consultant would assist with the design, installation and configuration of sustainable elements of the project, especially the mechanical systems. The LEED consultant would report directly to the District.
• Wight is continuing Design Development drawings. Wight tentatively proposes a Design Development presentation at the October 20, 2008 Board Meeting.

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July, 2008

• The design schematic for the Early Childhood Center was received by the Board with no major questions or objections.
• This project will go out to bid in January/February of 2009, a recommendation will be brought to the Board in February/March, with plans for an April 2009 groundbreaking, and occupancy by the summer of 2010. A copy of the Wight PowerPoint is below.

Early Childhood Center - July 2008 Presentation (PDF, 2.3 MB)

• The project is residential in scale, featuring low impact to the existing park and neighborhood. All facades are thoughtfully designed, and the project features many unconventional details that are sustainable, energy efficient and well-serve this population of students. Colors and materials will not be finalized until the bid process is completed.

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Prior to July, 2008

Please see the main Building the Future page for information.