Clancy & Theys Construction Company provided general contracting through completing this project. The Vernon Malone College & Career Academy is an innovative high school partnership between Wake County, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), and Wake Tech Community College (WTCC) to offer students dual enrollment opportunities in technical programs that include comprehensive academic programs to meet all the WCPSS graduation requirements and University of North Carolina (UNC) System entrance requirements.
The challenge was to transform the 101,000 sq ft Coca-Cola warehouse built in the 1950s into a career and technical high school with learning spaces—laboratories, classrooms—and programming in the areas of agriculture, business and information technology, career development, health occupations, family and consumer sciences, marketing, technology, and trade and industry. Specifically the facility houses learning labs in the areas of welding, automotive repair/body repair/painting, plumbing, cosmetology, health care, and HVAC repair. Student support, administration, dining, and multipurpose areas were also constructed.
The main building was constructed of block walls with brick veneer, concrete floors and a low slope roof. The exterior walls were upgraded to include insulation and structural upgrades. The interior of the building was completely gutted with the exception of load bearing walls, columns and roof structure. We encountered under slab obstacles such as pile caps, grade beams, rock, decayed footings and thickened slabs that at one point reached depths of over 18”. Cost and time impacts were anticipated, planned, and quickly overcome. Site improvements included grading, asphalt paving, concrete paving, utilities, landscaping and site amenities.
