Construction at Coolwood Head Start is as close to completion as can be.

“We’re so close. It’s about 99 percent,” HCDE Director of Construction Joe Carreon said during a tour of the facility on June 18. “That last one percent to complete the project is harder than starting the project.”

The 13,000-square-foot facility in the heart of the Northshore community will accommodate 120 students and 30 teachers and administrators upon completion. Among the finished touches are exposed ceilings that feature a light blue hue in color and contemporary circular lights in the classrooms.

Coolwood Head Start is scheduled to open in August for classes. It will not only service the immediate neighborhoods but also serve as a viable option to those attending the Fifth Ward and Pugh Head Start campuses. Both campuses closed at the end of the 2023-2024 school year due to low enrollment.

“My hope for the children when they come into this building is that they find a place where they feel at home, where they feel safe and where they feel appreciated,” said Eva Burgos, Head Start nutrition services coordinator.

Still awaiting completion are landscaping, installing playground equipment and the fire lane.

“The contractor is hoping that (this) week, the fire marshal inspector can come in and give us the green light to temporarily occupy the building so that we can start stocking and installing the furniture,” Carreon said.

Renovations continue at the Irvington administration building. Fourth floor renovations, which included replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and improving fire suppression systems, were completed in April and staff are settled back into their permanent spaces. Renovations to the third floor are underway with anticipated completion set for the third week of July. Residents on the second floor are busy packing their personal and office items as renovations for that floor are expected to begin in late July and finish in mid November.

To learn more out HCDE’s Construction Services, click here.