Construction begins on new Emerald Coast Middle School (W/ PHOTO GALLERY)
Construction on the new Emerald Coast Middle School kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on the morning of Sept. 28.
After a short ceremony, Emerald Coast Middle School’s Principal Gail Smith, ECMS Administrative Assistant Michael Murphy, Walton County Superintendent of Schools Carlene Anderson, Walton County School Board Chairman Bill Laird and three school board members dug into soft sand with gold-headed shovels to commence construction.
The new Emerald Coast Middle School is located at 4019 U.S. Highway 98 in Point Washington, one mile east of County Road 395.
The school was designed by architect Elliot Marshall Innes and is being built by Elkins Constructors, Inc. The construction is projected to be completed in less than 608 days and cost $18,217,000.
The finished school will sit on more than 40 acres and will include an environmental retention pond to protect existing wetlands.
Smith said one of her teachers at ECMS, Nancy Barker, is working on a lesson plan to educate the students on the environmental impact of the school on the surrounding land.
The school will also feature a main entrance with porte-cochere, 20 regular classrooms, a detention classroom, three ESE classrooms, an art classroom, two skill labs, three resource rooms, a science lab and three science demonstration classrooms.
Athletic facilities will include a baseball field, a softball field, two basketball courts and a football field with a track. The gymnasium will be built with restrooms, wrestling and weight rooms, locker rooms and showers.
“We appreciate the support of our taxpayers who afford us the opportunity to build these beautiful schools,” said Anderson. “Schools are an important part of (Walton County’s) economic development.”
