Gilbane Building Company Celebrates Topping Out of New Marblehead Elementary School
Marblehead, MA – September 1, 2020 – Officials from the Marblehead School District joined representatives from Gilbane Building Company, LEFTFIELD, Raymond Design Associates, and Engineers Design Group on September 1, 2020 to celebrate the official topping out of the town’s new, 82,000-SF elementary school.
The new facility will accommodate approximately 450 students in grades kindergarten through third and will consolidate three elementary schools in the district under one roof. The project also involved the immediate abatement and demolition of two existing school structures and blasting of more than 10,000-CY of ledge to make room for the new structure.
Despite increased safety protocols and gathering restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school administrators and the project team made it possible for the Marblehead community to have the opportunity to ceremoniously sign their names to the last beam being put into place, as is tradition during a topping out ceremony. The beam was staged in a secure location adjacent to the site a week prior to the event and school staff and community members, along with past and future students, donned their masks and staggered their visits to sign their name as part of the history of the new school.
During his ceremonial remarks, Marblehead Schools Superintendent John J. Buckey noted, “Not only are we building a new school, we are doing it during a pandemic, but I am proud to say that we are still on time and on budget. I extend a huge thank you to Gilbane and Leftfield for keeping this project on track, and as superintendent, I promise to be a great steward of this work.”
Along with standing non-negotiable safety protocols for minimizing the effect of disruptive construction activities in a tightly settled area, the Gilbane team adapted to the current COVID-19 crisis by implementing strict health and wellness protocols that ensure the safety and cleanliness of the job site, as well as the surrounding community.
“We’re so grateful to the Town of Marblehead for allowing us the opportunity to build this amazing school,” said Steve Duvel, senior vice president and New England division leader for Gilbane. “We understand that this is more than bricks and steel. This building represents the greatest asset to Marblehead – the future of your students.”
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from preconstruction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build and facility management services – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1870 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 50 office locations worldwide. For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.