On Feb. 7, attendees at the George Marks Elementary School Topping Out feasted on Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ, were in the running for $3,500 in prizes, and received a student-designed t-shirt.
Orlando Commercial team members celebrated the milestone with our contractor partners, school staff, and representatives from Volusia County. See more pictures.
The Wharton-Smith team at George Marks understands that working on an occupied campus means the construction team, school staff, and students all play a key role in the success of the project. That’s why Wharton-Smith asked the school staff to join them in hosting a student art contest, and the winning entry was printed on the topping out t-shirts.
“The contest reflected the kinship we feel with our campus friends,” said Senior Project Manager Stephanie Farmer. “It was a reminder to everyone that through all the noise and interruptions of project phasing, we are in this together.”
In fact, the winning motto on the shirt, “Where we all succeed together,” has now been incorporated into the school’s letterhead. After the event, Wharton-Smith presented the three students who placed in the contest a topping out shirt along with a small commemorative canvas of their artwork.
The $24 million project includes a 110,754-square-foot structure with 53 classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, administration area, cafetorium, media center, and other support spaces. In addition, the final phase of the project will include a new playfield with a pavilion and renovation of three existing classroom buildings to accommodate a total of 930 student stations.
