Excavation work began Tuesday morning at the Perry High School Building Trades Program construction site 12th Street and Otley Avenue.
Progress has been steady since June, when the building-trades students learned the basics of surveying from a crew from Bolton and Menk Inc., the city’s engineering consultant.
The project is proceeding in an unorthodox sequence, with construction starting before the city-owned property has been platted and building permits issued, in order to maximize the class’ activity, as Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson explained last week to the Perry City Council, which approved the plan.
“We wanted the students to be able to participate in the surveying process and then the planning and zoning and then the city council,” Peterson told the council. last week prior to the council’s approval of the project.
PHS Industrial Technology Instructor Chad Morman is teaching the class to juniors and seniors, and the DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy is offering college credit for the classes and providing the construction tools for the program.
