Groundbreaking set for new high school

A date has been set for groundbreaking on Maricopa Unified School District’s new high school.

Construction of the new facility, which will be the district’s second high school, is planned for the 65-acre Cortona property at Murphy and Farrell roads.

The pecan orchard, acquired for about $45,000 per acre, is irrigated for agriculture. The seller of the land, Maricopa 240 LLC, maintains ownership of several acres on the west side for residential development. The school is expected to face Murphy Road.

The ceremony is scheduled for May 7.

Mark Rafferty, a consultant with Facilities Management Group, updated the board Wednesday on planning and construction activities.

Construction would begin just after Memorial Day, he said.

The community, however, will get its best look yet at the project at the school board’s Feb. 24 meeting. Rafferty said he expected to show a 3D presentation of the new building, complete with walkthroughs and fly-bys.

Rafferty said his firm also will provide an update on the construction schedule, including on- and off-site logistics, so that residents know when to expect the trees to be knocked down, fencing installed and a water tank placed on site.

In response to a question from the board, Rafferty said the results of water flow testing on site are still being analyzed, but that everything looks good. A flow test is a way to measure water supply available at a building site, usually for the purposes of installing a water-based fire protection system.