The new Parkland elementary school, Veterans Memorial, is taking shape on an 18-acre site in Upper Macungie Township, on the west side of Twin Ponds Road between Long Lane and Schantz Road.

During the Nov. 20 meeting, Rob Avitabile, senior project manager for Alvin H. Butz, Inc., reported work is proceeding on schedule and within budget.

He noted 88 “weather days” with rain or snow occurred since breaking ground in May.

Nevertheless, he anticipates having the building enclosed by the end of February 2019. Target time for completion is August 2020.

Avitabile said the endeavor is trending $60,000 under the $35.8 million budget despite an unforeseen cost of $623,133 for an application of 18 inches of stone to stabilize the soil.

He stated the amount was covered by contingency allowances which have not been exhausted.

Avitabile described the work planning process which includes not only Butz construction management but also numerous contractors involved in the project.

“We have a good collaborative environment with all of the trades on the site,” Avitabile said. “We sit down as a group and discuss the best way to do this job.

“We want to build it in a way that makes sense to everybody.

“In our conference room, we asked each contractor to write down their schedule. We posted these on the wall as a calendar for the duration of the job.”

He provided a summary of the construction process to date.

Avitabile said an important step at the beginning was to install a roadway for people and construction equipment to have safe and proper access to the work area.

After the ground was stabilized in June, excavation for footings was done. Concrete was poured, and utilities were installed underground.

The first pieces of steel went up on Aug. 29.

Avitabile stated another important accomplishment was putting in the stairs to provide vertical circulation throughout the building.

He noted the next milestones include putting up exterior walls, framing out windows and installing dry wall.

“Then we can focus on the inside,” Avitabile said.

Veterans Memorial will accommodate up to 700 students in the southwestern portion of Parkland School District where new housing construction is underway at a rapid pace.