Summer break is nearly here, and we are excited to share more details with our community about the implementation of our ambitious school-wide Geothermal, HVAC, and Pavilion Solar Array projects. This kind of project has been a dream of many of us at Hawthorne Valley for years, and we are thrilled that it is finally coming to fruition.
That being said, the project will cause disruption from our regular summer rhythms, and we want to share with you what to expect.
Construction Timeline: June 16 - August 15
Start Date: June 16
Substantial Completion: August 15
Final Cleanup/Landscaping: Into Late August
What to Expect
School Campus Closed
The School Campus will be closed to the community and public starting on June 16.
There will be no access to school grounds, playgrounds, the basketball court, stream, or trails behind the school.
Traffic & Noise Alerts
If you are in the valley during the summer, you can anticipate:
- Increased commercial traffic on Harlemville Road and 21C
- Loud drilling noise for the first two weeks
- Equipment staging in the back of the school parking lot
- Construction work hours, Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm
Why It Matters
- The project will give us clean energy & healthier spaces
- Our Entire School Campus will be off of fossil fuels
- The Solar Array will power the new HVAC system
- We’ll have better indoor air quality for our students, faculty, and staff
- Tens of thousands of dollars will be saved on energy costs to redirect into programs and infrastructure
- The system will provide on-going real world lessons in climate science, geology, and sustainability
We are grateful to you for your patience as we undertake this construction, and will keep you updated throughout the summer. We would like to extend our gratitude to Josh Wise, Campus Director, and David Szlaza for helping us see this project to fruition!
If you have any questions about the project, please reach out to Josh, or Martin Ping, Executive Director.
