Archive

​721 - 38 Avenue SW, Calgary AB T2T 2H8

 School Opened | Feb. 1, 2017

Background

The June 2013 Calgary flood caused significant structural damage to the existing Elbow Park School due to differential settlement. The site was covered with water and the basement, crawl space and mechanical room were flooded. Dramatic settling of the perimeter foundation walls caused the classroom wings and library to pull away from the central core, opening up fissures through the walls and weakening the roof truss joints.

Provincial government has provided an interim school made up of modular classroom units at the Earl Grey School site and a replacement of Elbow Park School was approved by the Province on Feb. 12, 2014.

The provincial kick-off meeting occurred on Feb. 25, 2014. Gibbs Gage Architects was selected as the prime consultant.

Funds for this replacement school come from insurance settlement proceeds and provincial government capital funds, supplemented with provincial flood mitigation and flood recovery funding. The new structure will be raised above the one-in-500-year flood level and a new gymnasium will be built on the south end.

Design Plan

The original design plans called for a new and modern school to be constructed within the historic walls, including a new gymnasium addition to the south. Unfortunately, the work associated with saving the historic east and west walls could not be done within the approved budget. As a result, only the north, most historically significant wall, will be retained. The east and west walls will be replicated using a brick facade.

The new roofs will emulate the original sloped roofs, while the new gym addition will have a flat roof. The library will reflect the original design aesthetic of the historic school.

The new school will meet current building standards, including barrier free access and will address flood mitigation in the design.

Construction Status

December 2016

Continuous assessment of project schedule is being undertaken to ensure appropriate work acceleration and expedient delivery of the school.

November 2016

The building structure is now substantially complete. North historic wall structural restraints have been removed. Roofing has commenced together with exterior masonry repairs. Exterior windows on east and west walls installed. Water and sewer service connections complete. Continuous assessment of project activities and schedule is being undertaken to ensure appropriate acceleration to meet completion deadline.

Project Background

Sept. 13, 2016

• Structural steel installation complete. Restored Library trusses and cupola have been reinstalled.

Nov. 10, 2015

• The historic wall restraint work, together with all mass demolition activities has been completed. New foundations and concrete work have commenced.

Sept. 15, 2015

• Tender Package 2 (balance of work) has been approved for award by Alberta Infrastructure.

May 19, 2015

• The first tender package for the specialist foundation work, demolition and structural wall stabilization was retendered and has been awarded.Hazmat abatement has been completed. Demolition work has started. Tender package 12 (balance of work) is being tendered.

April 22, 2015

• Tender package 2 has been approved by Alberta Infrastructure.

March 22, 2015

• The first tender package for the specialist foundation work, demolition and structural wall stabilization was retendered and has been reviewed for award. The balance of the work is now scheduled to be tendered in March 2015. Commencement of demolition work is scheduled for March 2015.

Feb. 6, 2015

• There have been significant milestones achieved in recent months and also some changes made to the school design. Despite these changes, the project is still on track for completion in late 2016 as previously discussed.

The original design plans called for a new and modern school to be constructed within the historic walls, including a new gymnasium addition to the south. That is still the plan with one change. Following an assessment of bids received for the specialist demolition and underpinning of the exterior walls, it was found that the work associated with saving the historic east and west walls could not be delivered within the approved budget and timeframe. As a result, a decision has been made to retain only the north, most historically significant wall and replicate the east and west walls. The City of Calgary Planning Department has reviewed and is supportive of these adjusted plans.

The Calgary Board of Education is looking forward to the replacement building providing a modern, safe, state-of the art school that will meet the learning needs of current and future students. To that end, we are pleased to be working with the following project team:

• Stuart Olson Construction Ltd., Construction Manager
• Gibbs Gage Architects, leading the design work
• Duke Evans Inc., providing project management.

The replacement of Elbow Park School was approved by the Province on Feb. 12, 2014. The funds required for this replacement school come from a combination of insurance settlement proceeds and provincial government capital funds, supplemented with provincial flood mitigation and flood recovery funding.

School Community

The landmark school is at the heart of the neighbourhood of Elbow Park and is valued by all residents of the community. Our students are at the heart of our school; their learning is the purpose and function of our school community.

School Facility

• The original school was built in 1926.
• The new school will meet current building standards including barrier free access and address flood mitigation in the design.
• The façade and library will reflect the original building aesthetic.

Working with the Community

We are committed to providing regular updates on this webpage.

• July 3, 2014 – Design concepts presented to the public
• April 2014 – First information meeting was held with community
• We look forward to providing you with more information and hearing your feedback at future engagements as the work progresses.