Four-in-One School For Little Village

Chicago's Little Village neighborhood is getting a new public high school in which four small schools are housed under one roof.

Little Village High School broke ground in late November, with completion expected in June 2005. The facility is located at 31st and Kostner streets.

As part of the city's commitment to small schools, the 287,000-sq.-ft. building will house four separate high schools, each with an enrollment of about 450 students, under one roof. Each school will have its own classrooms, labs, office space, and separate administrative staff.

The schools will share the building's library and media center, two gymnasia, pool, kitchen, cafeteria and 500-seat auditorium, along with the baseball and soccer fields outside. The common areas will run in two parallel wings, with the four small school academic corridors running between them.

The school's central courtyard will feature a solar calendar system, where sunlight enters the 70-ft.-tall atrium space via skylight and then reflects off of mirrors to direct a beam of light onto ceramic tiles marking the date. According to architect Charles Hasbrouck, the calendar is based on the ancient Aztec solar calendar system in tribute to Little Village residents' predominantly Mexican heritage.

A joint venture of James McHugh Construction Co. and Riteway Construction Services was awarded the construction contract. Project architect is Gonzalez Hasbrouck, based in Chicago.

Pipefitters Get Training Facility

A 198,000-sq.-ft. training facility for pipefitters is under construction at 187th and Wolf roads in Mokena.

The Pipefitter Training Facility will combine three existing facilities in downtown Chicago and Ottawa.

Members of the Pipefitters' Local Union 597 will use the facility to learn about designing, installing and maintaining systems for water, air, gas, chemicals, hydraulics, HVAC and process piping in commercial, residential and industrial buildings. The facility will host about 650 students per week for daytime and evening courses.

The headquarters will contain 98,000-sq.-ft. of classroom and administrative areas, including 15 classrooms, a tiered lecture hall and auditorium, administrative offices, support areas, and student common areas. Also planned is the Pipefitters' Local Union 597 History Room, which will include memorabilia and documents from the group's 118-year history.

The 70,000-sq.-ft. practical shop area includes three drive-in doors to facilitate the training of advanced processes engaged by union pipefitters. A 30-ft. crane bay will be constructed to house a 10-ton crane for lifting, loading and unloading pipe and other materials used in the training programs.

Electrical and mechanical training rooms will be constructed adjacent to the 15,000-sq.-ft. weld shop, and computer-aided design courses will also be offered at the new facility.

Rosemont-based McShane Construction Corp. was selected to provide design/build services. Completion is expected in December.

Thorek Starts Medical Building

Thorek Hospital has started a medical office building in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

The four-story masonry building will hold physician offices and retail for a total of more than 51,000 sq. ft. of space. The rest of the building will be dedicated to private doctor offices and medical practices.

Exterior features will include an ornate precast cornice and radius corner curtain wall overlooking Irving Park Road and Broadway Street. A bridge will also be constructed between the building and the main hospital.

The opening is scheduled for July. Deerfield-based Kiferbaum Construction is serving as the general contractor.

University Center Has Ground Break

Ground was broke for the $20 million University Center at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

A unique feature is that 16 colleges and universities throughout the state, both public and private, will offer programs in the facility, according to Hickory Hills-based Henry Bros. Co., the general contractor.

The 89,000-sq.-ft. building will be made up of three "houses." These include an administrative area with library, technology and other common areas; a conference center with large spaces for the support of conference functions; science/wet lab; and psychology/education and observation laboratory.

The exterior features shaped aluminum curtain wall, metal panel and brick. The facility is expected to be complete in the spring of 2005.

Perusing Renovation of Mount Prospect Library

A $13.5 million renovation and addition of a second floor is under way for the public library in Mount Prospect.

The project requires the removal of the existing penthouse to make way for the addition and new penthouse. Tied to the original structure with a completely redesigned exterior facade, and the 50,000-sq.-ft. second-floor addition will double the size of the library to 98,000 sq. ft.

The new space will include areas on the first floor for circulation, registration and youth services and provide space for meeting rooms, a computer training room, administrative offices and other staff department work areas. The second floor will be for reference department, popular materials department, as well as computer services.

Renovations include new HVAC, electrical, technology and security systems and new interior finishes and furniture. A new central stair will provide a visual anchor around which public service desks will be organized. Larger, reorganized staff areas will increase functionality and efficiency.

The Chicago-based Meyne Co., a division of Bulley & Andrews LLC, is the general contractor on the project.

Palwaukee to Get Two Hangars

Construction of two 12,000-sq.-ft. hangars is under way at Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling.

The new space will accommodate room for 20 additional airplanes. The design features a T shape to allow for drive-in of planes and features an 18-ft. height and pre-engineered steel.

Burr Ridge-based Klein Construction is the design-builder and architect. The project is scheduled for completion this spring.