Morgan City High School library project winding down

Furniture installation continues, and $50,000 in new books are scheduled to arrive Friday as the $3.55 million library construction project at Morgan City High School winds down.
The $3.55 million project consisted of renovation of the old “girls’ gym” into a new library, media center and student commons area done in conjunction with an air conditioner replacement project.
Principal Mickey Fabre said this morning three Promethean boards were installed in the library this week along with completion of furniture for a 36-station computer lab. The desks have a glass top housing a monitor, he said, allowing for heightened security on standardized tests but still allowing students to use the desk surface for writing.
All bookshelves have been assembled and attached and seating, including café-style tables are being installed in the connecting hallway. Fabre said he hopes lunch from the food cart the school utilizes can be served there next week.
Construction originally was scheduled from December 2013 to July 2014, but experienced delays and nearly caused a postponement of school opening. The contractor had until Aug. 14 to complete the work under his contract.
The project was approved by the St. Mary Parish School Board for substantial completion pending final inspections and approval by school officials.
Architect Carl Blum said this morning the air conditioning portion of the project was accepted upon occupancy of the second floor when school started.
He said the contractor, Bonneval Construction of Patterson, was delayed in its completion by a factory defect in the carpet it laid in the library. That carpet had to pulled out and replaced, causing further delays as the carpet was not in stock and had to be made when it was ordered.
The final completion was delayed about two weeks, and crews worked over the Labor Day weekend to finish the installation, Blum said.
“They started on the furniture as soon as the carpet was down Sept. 5, and we expect it to be complete by the end of this week,” Blum said, adding that the furniture and its installation is a separate contract from construction.
Fabre said the transfer of the books from the old library to the new one shouldn’t take too long.
The furniture there will stay where it is, he said, adding the old library will be used as a data room while the school undergoes accreditation this year.
Future use of the old library section remains up in the air, Fabre said, adding he has asked his faculty for ideas.