Hoover Schools Move Forward On Capital Expansion Projects

HOOVER, AL — Hoover residents will see dirt moving on a couple of capital expansion projects within the Hoover school system. Projects at Bluff Park Elementary School and Berry Middle School broke ground this month, part of an extensive plan by the school system involving capital improvements.

A release by Hoover City Schools said the district has approved and budgeted $2.1 million dollars to create the new Hoover Student Services building in the vicinity of the old Bluff Park Elementary School which is currently vacant. This renovation will include demolition of some current structures and construction of new structures while maintaining the core of the historic Bluff Park School that has been a part of this campus for more than a century.

Demolition will begin at the first of the year, and Matt Wilson, Coordinator of Operations, said in the release that he hopes to have the bid approved for new construction by mid-March. The new construction will mimic the same archway of the old building in the hopes that the new addition looks like it has always been there, bringing the past into the future.

Changes are also being made at Berry Middle School which will add a three-story addition to the existing school and will be housed in the parking lot to the left of the current building. This addition will add thirteen classrooms within its three new stories and includes an enclosed walkway that will lead students and teachers to the new parking area. Berry Middle School has more than 1,200 students and is operating near capacity. The added square footage will allow for future growth as the eastern side of Hoover builds out.

This multi-million dollar expansion had a ceremonial groundbreaking Dec. 18, with actual construction beginning in January 2020. The project will take twelve to eighteen months.