'It's a major renovation': $22.3 million remodel at Three Oaks well underway

Chances are if you'vedriven past Three Oaks High School lately you've probably noticed quite a few changes to the exterior of the school.

But, it is on the inside where the most dramatictransformation istaking shape.

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"It's a major renovation," said Tyler Richardson, manager of building design and construction for the province.

"It's certainly not cosmetic in nature. We're going to repurposea lotexistingspaces, and create new spaces, better organized to deliver the current curriculum."

Phase 1 underway

In fact, the entire 160,000 square foot school will becompletely remodeledover the next two years.

It's the firstmajor upgrade to the school since it opened in 1976.

The project is being tackled in phases.

The first phase which is already underway will include threenew classrooms, a food lab, a 120-seat black box theatre and seven new break out rooms for group projects, practicing presentations and viewing course-oriented material.

"What we're seeing here is basically a new school being built within the existing walls of the facility," said Doug Currie, P.E.I.'s minister of education, early learning and culture.

$7M over original estimate

Work to modernize the school is expected to cost $7 million more than the original estimate.

P.E.I.'s Department of Education says it's now budgeting $22.3 million for therenovations, which started in March.

According to the department, a number of things are to blame for the increased price from the low Canadian dollar and a competitive construction season to costly asbestos removal and technology adaptations.

"The money is part of the capital budget process, this was part of the planning process," Currie explained. "This is a significant investment to Three Oaks. This building was becoming outdated and certainly needed to be modernized to respond to the needs of students and educators here in the community."

'A total gut'

This fall, work on the second floor of the school will begin.It will includetwo new physics labs, six newly renovated classrooms, as well as thelibrary and lecture theatre.

The final phase of construction will include the renovation of the remaining 18 classrooms, cafeteria, expanded band and practice rooms, biology, and chemistry labs and a new outdoor track.

"It's really a total gut of the interior," Richardson said.

"This is major work being done and it's taking quite a concerted effort by all. It's a challenge, but right now, I think we're doing fine."

Work on one quarter of the school is expected to be completed by September.

The province said it expectsthe renovation will keep Three Oakscurrent for the next 25 to 30 years.

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