Samo construction in full swing

Samo is in the midst of starting the 25-year construction plan to modernize the campus facilities. The team is currently working on the Science and Technology building tear-down, but has the end goal to build a stadium for Samo’s sports teams and to build modern, upgraded classrooms.The Innovation Building, the first building of the recent construction project, is an example of the style in which future buildings will be built. The current project leveled the Science Building, and will replace it with an underground parking area as well as the Discovery Building, a prospect that will include 30 classrooms and state-of-the-art facilities. In order to house all classes after this building was leveled, four classrooms were moved to the tennis courts, where temporary rooms were created. As of now, a contractor has not yet been hired for this stage of project, so there is no exact estimate for how long the construction will take. The current issue is the city’s waterline, which runs directly through the future parking garage underneath the Discovery Building. The plan is to move the pipe, which will require temporarily disabling the school’s water from 5 p.m. on Oct. 10 until 5 a.m. the next day. Once this is completed, however, the path to and from the Innovation building will widen, allowing easier passage, according to the school administration.Samohi was founded in 1891, and has not had a change in buildings in some time. The goal of this 25-year plan is to replace the crumbling infrastructure of the older buildings with newer, more durable buildings that will last for years to come.According to Catherine Baxter, the head of construction, the plan is organized into multiple phases, and when the final phase is completed, the effects will heavily impact the Samo community. Dr. Shelton attested that the removal of dirt is on schedule, but again does not know how long the construction of the Discovery Building will take.“[In] Spring, you may start seeing the first phases of a building starting,” Shelton said.Shelton noted that there will be a beautiful ocean view from the top floor, a new cafeteria that opens into the Centennial Quad, and state-of-the-art facilities for Project Lead The Way. The building will also boast a 50-meter outdoor pool, replacing the Drake pool, and level parking for the staff members. On top of all this, it will contain large, open spaces that will allow for collaborative and project-based learning. “I think the kids are going to be excited to have state-of-the-art facilities,” Shelton said.The goal is to maintain a constant state of construction until the end of the 25-year plan, at which point Samo will have a transformed campus. These changes, however, do not just impact students. A new parking area was added to help sate the growing problem of traffic and overuse of cars outside Samo. Additionally, a new parking area will be built in to the upcoming Discovery Building.