Neighbors

In November 2020, The Bush School broke ground on construction of a New Upper School Building and advanced the first step in our Education Master Plan. The following page is a resource for neighbors to find key information and updates about this project.

Construction Timeline
Mobilization - November 2020
Shoring/Excavation complete - February 2021
Structural Framing complete - July 2021
Landscaping complete - November 2021
Interiors complete - January 2022

Standard Work Hours
Monday - Friday : 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday & Holiday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: No Work

CONSTRUCTION COMMUNICATION
The Bush School is partnering with general contractor Exxel Pacific to build the New Upper School Building. Exxel Pacific is an award winning employee owned company who prioritizes safety and customer service. 

Exxel Pacific Project Team
John Hughes, Project Director
Michael Fisher, Project Manager
Wayne Wilkinson, Project Superintendent

Exxel Construction Hotline - 206.453.1005
The construction hotline is for general inquiries and calls regarding construction during the work week.

Exxel Emergency Hotline - 360.968.9393
The emergency hotline is for emergency calls regarding construction during or outside the work week. Brian Sorensen is Exxel Pacific Safety DIrector who supports the emergency hotline.

Monthly Construction Newsletter
Each month Exxel Pacific will be sending out a construction newsletter to neighbors of The Bush School the last week of each month. This newsletter will provide information on the project and updates for the coming month. If you are interested in signing up for the newsletter send your name and email to neighbors@bush.edu. 

Bush New Upper School Building Construction Newsletter | April 2021
Bush New Upper School Building Construction Newsletter | March 2021
Bush New Upper School Building Construction Newsletter | February 2021
Bush New Upper School Building Construction Newsletter | January 2021
Bush New Upper School Building Construction Newsletter | December 2020

Special Project Updates (72 Hours Notice)
Special project updates will be sent out via email with 72 hours notice. To receive special project updates, please email your name and email to neighbors@bush.edu.

Project Update from Exxel Pacific Project Manager Michael Fischer
Today we set the first of 53 total piles which will be strategically placed along the N, E, and S sides of the project. Each of these piles ranges from 14-32’ feet in length and will help hold back soil as mass excavation begins. Each pile location is excavated using a large drilling rig. This creates a large hole that the shoring steel is then lowered into. Once in place, a concrete truck fills the space around the steel with CDF (control density fill). As more piles go in, the shoring wall is created. Thick wood timbers (also know as lagging) are then secured between each pile to finish creating the wall.

SUSTAINABILITY
The Upper School project prioritizes environmental sustainability – both the building itself and its operational features – a value that is consistent with the school’s history, ethos, and values. The New Upper School Building will be the first “Salmon Safe” school, the first “Passive House” school in the West, and one of the first “Net Zero Energy” schools in the nation. To learn more about the project, and the school's commitment to building a campus that prioritizes environmental sustainability click here.

The Bush School and Neighbors of Bush Association (NOBA) entered into a neighborhood agreement in 2003 to provide a framework for clear and timely communications between The Bush School and neighbors to resolve effectively issues of mutual interest or concern to the school and its immediate neighbors. In 2011, First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church became part of the Neighborhood Agreement when it purchased the old MLK Elementary School adjacent to The Bush School (MLK F.A.M.E. Community Center). The Agreement seeks to promote positive relations and a mutually beneficial relationship between the school, its neighbors, and to lessen, to the extent reasonably possible, the impacts resulting from the operation of a school in a residential neighborhood while giving the school the flexibility it needs to achieve its educational purposes.

Representatives of the school, NOBA, and MLK meet quarterly to share information, to discuss issues of mutual interest or concern, and to resolve issues that may arise from time to time. For more information, please contact Robin Bentley, assistant head for finance and operations, at (206) 326-7771 or at robin.bentley@bush.edu.

Neighborhood Key Documents
Neighbors Calendar 2020-2021 (Key School Events)
The Bush School Neighbors Annual Report - May 2020
The Bush School Transportation Plan