The Brookfield Middle School remediation project that officials thought was off for this year is back on again.

Schirmer Construction LLC of North Olmstead has been hired to perform exterior site and drainage work, said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, the school district’s partner in building the school.

“This year, they’ll work outside, like they were gonna do last year, to get water away from the building, from the shale,” Supt. Toby Gibson told the school board July 20. “They’ll work on drainage, putting tile around the middle school hallway and some extra drains in between the high school-middle school hallways.”

There also are plans to put concrete or gravel along exterior walls to direct water away from the building into drains, said Gibson, who had expected to see equipment and materials start arriving on school grounds by the end of July.

“In spring, end of May, first week of June, they’ll start picking up the middle school hallway, and the classrooms, outside the rest room,” Gibson said.

Officials said shifting shale has caused the floor in the middle school hallway to rise, and to crack walls and bathroom fixtures, and render doors unable to close. The school district and OFCC are paying for the estimated $2.3 million project by the split of 64 percent state cost and 36 percent local cost, but have sued the original architect and a consultant on soil conditions in hopes of recouping the cost.

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