Project 2, the demolition and rebuilding of the southeastern portion of Oak Park and River Forest High School, is slightly behind schedule but the company managing the construction is still hopeful that it can meet the July 31 target for substantial completion of the 165,000 square foot project which includes a new swimming pool and third floor gym among other things. Project 2 is projected to cost nearly $102 million to complete.
“We are striving for July 31,” Jeremy Roling, project manager for Gilbane construction told the OPRF District 200 school board at its Jan. 29 meeting.
Roling said the very cold winter weather as well as a delay caused when a steel installer subcontractor walked off the job has caused the Project 2 timeline to be delayed by a couple weeks.
He said that as of right now the new swimming pool should be completed by Aug. 6 and the new third floor gym should be done by Aug. 12.
Teachers are scheduled to report to school for the 2026-27 school year on Aug. 20. The Huskie kickoff day is scheduled for Monday Aug. 24 and the first full day of school is set for Aug. 25.
Roling said that with workers working a five-day week Project 2 should be completed by Aug. 19 but he hopes that working overtime, including perhaps a six- or seven-day workweek when appropriate, will allow the construction to be finished by July 31.
“We are committed to getting back to July 31,” Roling told the school board.
Currently 80 to 100 workers are on site daily doing construction work at OPRF. That number is likely to increase as the weather warms up and pace of work increases in an attempt to get back on schedule.
Roling said the problem with the subcontractor doing steel installation caused a delay in the fall after the subcontractor walked off the job apparently underbidding the work with the steel fabricator.
“There have been some challenges with that,” Roling said. “There was more left undone than what we first anticipated so we’re still working through some of those things.”
School board member Graham Brisben warned Gilbane officials to focus on safety, quality and coming in under budget and not to unduly rush.
“Those things are way more important than moving in by the 31st, or Aug. 20th or even Sept. 20th,” Brisben said. “You may not want to imagine this but, you know, we’ve lived with the inconvenience of not having that corner of the building for two years. Even if we’ve went another month or two those other things are just way more important.”
In addition to the new swimming pool and gym, Project 2 will include a new weight room, a new dance studio, new locker rooms, new physical education classroom space, a new Green Room for theater and an open staircase.
