A $2.5 million school system project to build covered play areas for parish elementary schools will finally be complete this month.
New play areas have been built at a total of nine schools since April 2009 when the project began, with the final two at St. Rose Elementary and A. A. Songy Kindergarten being deemed substantially complete this month.
The St. Charles Parish School Board’s long range action plan for physical education and athletic facilities includes providing covered play areas at all elementary schools in the parish.
Only two elementary schools were not included: St. Rose Elementary already has an outdoor covered play area and Lakewood Elementary has a gym.
The new play areas include lights, six basketball goals and outlets for portable PA systems and other electronics to be used when holding assemblies.
“They are designed to be used in inclement weather and during the early fall and late spring when it’s extremely hot to provide a shaded play area,” said John Rome, the school system’s plant services administer.
Pete Vicari General Contractors Inc. was hired to construct the play areas.
The play areas took approximately five months each to build on a staggered construction phase for each one.
“Every site you have has different considerations to take in, such as existing buildings, drainage, fire evacuation routes,” Rome said. “For a simple project it can get complex.”
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