Construction Crews Hoist Final Steel Beam for Marston Middle School’s New Gymnasium, Honor Late Construction Manager with Alma Mater Colors and Mascot
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Construction Crews Hoist Final Steel Beam for Marston Middle School’s New Gymnasium, Honor Late Construction Manager with Alma Mater Colors and Mascot
July 31, 2023
SAN DIEGO - While Marston Middle School students are out on summer break, construction crews celebrated a major milestone for the school’s upcoming gymnasium: the hoisting of the final steel beam.
Decorated with the signatures of the project team and project partners, the beam was hoisted into place on Thursday, July 6, marking the completion of the building’s structural frame.
Intentionally painted half blue and half orange, the beam honored the project’s late construction manager, Robert “Bob” Snipes, who was a proud alumnus of the University of Florida. The college’s mascot - the gator - was also displayed.
Before embarking on this project, Snipes oversaw the Emerson Elementary campus transformation in Southcrest, which was completed in June 2022. He passed away 8 months later, in February 2023.
When complete in 2024, the Marston gymnasium will feature a main entrance lobby, striping for basketball, volleyball, and badminton, and six retractable basketball backboards.
Part of the Whole Site Modernization project, the gymnasium construction is part of a series of improvements to the Clairemont middle school campus. Upgrades are also being made to existing classrooms, restrooms, music spaces, student services offices, food services, physical education facilities, and campus security. A new parking lot and on-campus student drop-off and pick-up zone will also be created.
Just outside the gymnasium will be a new joint-use field that will include a walking/running track, a sprint track, a long jump area, and newly planted trees. The park replaces a previously decomposed granite field. As part of the Play All Day partnership with the City of San Diego, the park will be accessible to the community after school hours and during school breaks.
Funding for this project is made available through Propositions S & Z, and Measure YY, which are local school bond measures approved by San Diego voters to improve San Diego Unified schools.
The project is estimated to complete in late 2024 and a student and community celebration will be held at that time.
Read more about the project at http://fpcprojects.sandi.net.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, [email protected].
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