Manteca High will lose its swimming pool this summer to make way for a new gym capable of seating 2,250 people — the ultimate design capacity of a modernization and redo of the 99-year-old campus.
The Manteca Unified School District board on Tuesday will decide whether to proceed with the $42 million undertaking as well as OK the contract for first phase of work. The board meets at 7 p.m. at the district office, 2271 West Louise Ave., Manteca.
CT Brayton & Sons of Escalon will demolish the pool this summer as well as construct a new softball field and make various improvements needed to prepare for subsequent phases. The work this summer will cost $1,791,860.
The school will go without a swimming pool for one to two years. Arrangements will be made to use other district pools such as at East Union and Sierra high schools and possibly the nearby Lincoln Pool.
A new softball field will be created opposite of the baseball field with the backstop near the main entrance to the football field.
Work this summer also includes constructing a pathway or walk that meets the American with Disabilities Act requirements tying the football field into a new sweeping entrance to the Manteca High athletic facilities as well as a secondary student entrance plaza that will be built on the southwest corner of where the new gym will be located.
A new 25-meter swimming pool will be built in an upcoming phase where the small gym is currently located. New construction that will allow the campus to ultimately house 2,250 students — roughly 550 more than are currently enrolled — includes the building of a 10-classroom building on the southeast corner of Mikesell Street and Garfield Avenue.
The segment of Garfield Avenue — where it is flanked on both sides by the campus — that is currently blocked off with a series of bright orange barricades will be reworked into a plaza with one travel lane incorporated into it to serve as a student drop off lane. The plaza and student drop-off lane would be secured with a wrought iron gate and could have decorative pillars on either side. This is the segment of Garfield Avenue the city is turning over to the school district to ultimately allow a significant improvement in being able to secure the campus.
Thanks to the city decision once the $42 million campus modernization is completed the general public will no longer be able to walk through the campus using Garfield Avenue. To further secure the campus against the homeless that often times have bedded down in and around outdoor athletic facilities as well as others, wrought iron fencing — such as can now be found along Sherman Avenue on the west side of the campus — will be put in place as well. The current cyclone fencing has been repeatedly cut by those who are primarily homeless seeking a short cut to Lincoln Park where the homeless often gather at night to barbecue.
Manteca High currently has the smallest main gym of all district high schools forcing school assemblies to be conducted three times to reach the entire student body. When the new gym is completed the existing “big” gym will become the small gym. It will mean Manteca High would have the biggest small gym in the district with seating for around 800.
While the new gym and swimming pool are the big ticket items, much of the work won’t be visible from a simple walk around campus. That’s because it includes updating infrastructure such as plumbing and wiring, updating locker rooms, addressing drainage issues, addressing deficiencies in the performing arts building, and modernizing bathrooms.
An 8-foot solid wall — likely masonry — will be built along the southern edge of the student parking to sharpen security and provide a visual block of adjoining property.
Since the district wasn’t unable to secure property to re-orientate the campus to Moffat Boulevard, vehicle access to the front of the campus from Yosemite Avenue is being reworked.
A one-way, one-lane driveway will come off of Garfield Avenue and run in front of the performing arts center and library to access the office area parking. The three exits/entrances along Sherman Avenue will be combined into one driveway at the farthest point away from Yosemite Avenue. The second phase that will get underway in 2020 at the latest will involve building the gym, the new swimming pool, and 10 classrooms.
The final phase will involve modernizing various parts of the campus including the performing arts building and demolishing some classrooms to allow the expansion of the student quad near the office.
The $42 million project includes bond funds for modernization and safety upgrades as well as development fees and residual redevelopment agency money for improvements needed to accommodate growth.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
