We hope that everyone is having a good start to the school year, even as we continue to adjust to the new way of living our lives given COVID. The New Neal development project timeline and regular meetings with the FAC and CAC have had to change due to the COVID crisis, but the planning and design work have continued.
Superintendent John Price and IFF recognize that this has been a complex process, and one of the principles from the beginning has been to provide the opportunity for engagement and input from as many people as possible. As the African proverb says, if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. We plan to go far, and we plan to go together. The COVID crisis has made this collaboration more difficult, and this in turn has delayed our progress. We are working on a new updated schedule and will share that with you as soon as possible.
Over the past couple months the team has continued to make a lot of progress. While we were not able to break ground this summer as we had hoped, the team has still performed many crucial predevelopment activities on the site. These include structural engineering studies, asbestos remediation, soil testing, utility coordination, and engagement with teachers and staff around furniture and space needs. We have also held project update meetings with the FAC and CAC over the summer and will resume regular meetings with these groups in October. The feedback from both advisory committees has been determinative of many aspects of the project and we are incredibly grateful for the input to-date and look forward to a continued collaborative process.
We are excited about where the project is right now, and the direction that we are headed. Stay tuned to further updates on this web page and happy fall!
