Renovations at Nicolet Union High School wrapping up ahead of school year

Findorff crews will soon wrap up renovations at Nicolet Union High School in Glendale, the first overhaul of the building’s interior since it was built in the 1950s. The project is in finishing touches in time for students to return in September for the next school year.

The outside of the building is the same, but the inside is going to be brand new from the floors to the ceiling, said Greg Kabara, the superintendent of Nicolet. Much of the infrastructure such as plumbing, electricity, broadband connections and HVAC systems have been replaced with brand new systems. Lighting, paint and furniture for pupil-facing spaces have been upgraded as well. Construction started in March 2023.

“It’s a giant leap from the 1950s and into 2024,” Kabara said. Built in 1956, the school serves 1,050 students from the Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside and River Hills communities. Staff have already returned to school and students will return to class on Sept. 3.

The contractor modified 95% of the 350,000-square-foot school space and added 10,000 square feet of combined space for a technical education center, a school band room and a multipurpose room, said Ryan Treichel, a project manager for Findorff. The tech center, which is the school’s biggest addition, will hold the school’s construction program, Kabara noted.

Timing of the project was a big issue as crews worked throughout the school year and the summer. Most of the workforce was on site during the summer months and project progress was expedited, but the construction team also had to coordinate with the school when class was in session. That involved teachers and students having to use flex spaces while some rooms were under renovation.

Kabara said he had multiple meetings with Findorff officials throughout the day to accommodate instruction and eliminate as much disruption as possible for students.

One of the features of renovation was safety and accessibility devices inside the school, such as fire suppression and smoke detector systems to ADA compliant elevators and bathrooms, Kabara said.

A solar panel array addition is the largest sustainable feature of the project, Kabara said. Project planners estimated the panels will have a 30-31% offset energy costs for the district.

In 2022, voters passed a $77.4 million referendum to get the Nicolet Union High School project moving forward. School officials said the support from the community was significant and a “huge investment in public education.”

Project partners included EUA, Grunau Company, Gurtz Electric Co., CornerStone One and Blair Fire Protection LLC.

Employees from both the general contractor and trade partners live in the area, making the community project a personal mission for the company.

“Findorff has been in the Milwaukee area for 50 years and this is a project we’re so proud of,” said Christin Mlsna, the vice president of marketing and communications for Findorff. “There are so many staff that live in the area, so this is an opportunity for us to create a space for the whole community that we’re all going to enjoy,” she added.