SALAMANCA — Halfway through the summer break in the Salamanca City Central School District and construction on phase four of the ongoing capital project is progressing steadily.

Dr. Mark Beehler, district superintendent, told the Board of Education on July 25 that work at the school’s two campuses has been dynamic in recent month. At the main campus on Iroquois Drive, various types of construction can be seen across the front of the building from the parking lot’s inner loop.

“Most recently, they did a live tap into the water main out in front,” he said. “You’ll see an excavator out there with a big hole. Today they were basically branching off from the water main, so that has been impacting our ability to come in (the high school doors).”

Meanwhile, the steel girders for the new district office addition are partway through installation, Beehler said. He said that will continue through next week followed by pouring the concrete base. Target date for substantial completion is May 2024.

At the same time, the old district offices are being renovated into the new Native American services suite. Beehler said the wing is undergoing constant work, most recently with breaking up the old flooring.

“The Native American Suite is scheduled to be completed in February of ’24, so in about seven months or so,” he said. “They’re optimistic that they’re ahead of schedule, so we might see entrance into that area by Christmas break.”

Beehler said the main high school and Seneca Intermediate entrances from the Iroquois Drive parking lot are on target to be open before classes resume in September, but some of the cosmetics will be coming a bit later.

“These panels that are similar to the panels that are in the back of the STEAM wing have to be field measured before they are ordered,” he explained. “They come actually from Austria, so we know some of the cosmetic panels won’t be here by the opening of school. We’re targeting somewhere around early October to the middle of October for the cosmetics to be done, but the doors will be functional.”

At the Prospect Elementary School campus, the new addition is aiming for substantial completion in mid-August, Beehler said. However, there is some facade work being pushed back due to installation delays.

“We’re anticipating that will be completed by the opening of school,” he said. “It’ll look significantly better but it might filter into the second or third week of September at the rate we’re going.”

Beehler noted that the district regularly holds safety meetings and updates so the staff is made aware of where exactly construction is happening.

On Aug. 15, the school board will hold its regular meeting at Prospect in the open play space area in the new addition. This meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. with a building tour of the capital project site for the board. The business meeting will be held immediately after the tour.