Long-Term Dream Comes True
June 5, 2002--Wake County Board of Education Chair Kathryn
Watson Quigg, and board members Tom Oxholm, Rosa Gill, and
Patti Head joined with Knightdale Mayor Joe Bryan and other
town officials to break ground Wednesday at the 
intersection
of Smithfield, Forestville and Horton roads for a new high
school, elementary school and community park.
"This is the most significant event to ever happen to Knightdale," said Bryan. "The new facilities fulfill a long-term dream of our citizens."
Both the elementary and high schools are scheduled for completion in fall 2004. Forestville Road Elementary will open with a full-size gym, multi-purpose field and a soccer field. Knightdale High will open with a football stadium, baseball field, softball field, two Little League baseball fields, practice field, six tennis courts, and two basketball courts.
"This is so important for the children of eastern Wake County," said Quigg. Students in all of eastern Wake County will benefit from the construction of the new elementary and high schools, which will add almost 2,300 classroom seats and ease overcrowding at existing area campuses, she added.
The
Board of Education awarded the general construction contract
for Knightdale High at its April 2 meeting to R.N. Rouse and
Co., Inc. in the amount of $19,681,600. The board awarded
the mechanical contract to Watco Corporation in the amount
of $3,399,900, the electrical contract to Wayne J. Griffin
Electric, Inc. in the amount of $2,661,950, and the plumbing
contract to ABL and Associates Plumbing, LLC in the amount
of $1,254,950. The total of these multi-prime bids is $26,998,400.
Future athletic and park facilities, to be developed by the town, include: a community center with indoor pool, amphitheater, greenway, small lake area, softball fields, volleyball courts, and tennis courts.
The Town of Knightdale provided $1.7 million towards the soccer field and full-size gym at the elementary, Little League fields, irrigation, and site work. Wake County Parks and Recreation will contribute $450,000 to the project.