Construction FAQ
The questions below were raised during an informational meeting held for OPRF neighbors in January 2020. Have another question? Please send it to construction@oprfhs.org.
Construction equipment may be operated between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
The construction schedule calls for work to be done Monday through Friday. Periodically, work may occur on Saturdays during the allowable hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. We avoid construction work on Sundays unless absolutely required for utility shutdowns, etc.
During normal business hours, please call the OPRF Welcome Center at 708-434-3125 and report the problem to OPRF security personnel, who will address it with Pepper Construction, the construction manager for the project. Please note, however, that on-site staffing is limited during the coronavirus pandemic.
If you aren’t able to reach a live person at the Welcome Center, please call the Oak Park police to report any ordinance violations. In addition, we’ve set up a special email address where you can report construction issues: construction@oprfhs.org. There are several persons copied on those emails so we can address concerns as soon as possible.
Pepper Construction, the construction manager for the project, will monitor contractor noise emissions in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
Pepper Construction and its contractors will operate within the confines of the law on our construction site. Our construction contracts and other documents specify village and school idling limitations, and we will have additional signage posted around the campus. With construction on the west (Mall) side of the building, diesel vehicles are unlikely to be parked within 200 feet of a residence at any time. However, should there be an idling issue, please call the OPRF Welcome Center at 708-434-3125. If you aren’t able to reach anyone at the Welcome Center, call the Oak Park police to report any ordinance violations. In addition, we’ve set up a special email address where you can report construction issues: construction@oprfhs.org.
All construction work will be conducted per OSHA guidelines, including taking measures to limit dust.
Construction vehicles will travel westbound on Erie Street from Ridgeland Avenue. They will enter campus by turning south-bound onto the Mall (between the building and the west fields) on Erie Street. The Mall will remain one-way as it is now, with construction vehicles exiting campus by turning east-bound onto Lake Street.
From June 2020 until January 2022, large equipment will be used in the construction zone on the west side of the school by the South Cafeteria. Demolition and excavation will run from June through December 2020. Exterior construction will run from September 2020 through February 2021. Once the major exterior construction is completed, the noise level should be drastically diminished.
No. There is no construction in that area this year, and no vehicles or equipment will be parked in this area. There may be times when special equipment is needed in the front of the building, but nothing will be parked there for an extended period of time. The trees were removed because they were diseased.
In addition to the construction for Imagine OPRF Project 1, we are doing annual upkeep on the building that includes a new roof and tuckpointing at the north end of the building and replacement of mechanicals that are mostly inside the building.