After two years of construction, today was the big day for the official unveiling of an extensively remodeled Garfield High School.
We’ve got two videos of the event. The first has highlights from the ceremony, while the second gives a quick tour of the building.
The changes are pretty dramatic. They’ve taken a run-down building and transformed it into a shiny new facility with all the modern technology. There’s computers and LCD projectors in many of the rooms, fully equipped science rooms, and a lot of space and light. But unlike new construction, it has all of the exterior charm of the original.
We’d been watching the construction for a while, and wondered whether they would be finished in time for the school year. I can tell you they’re still cutting it close. The building was swarming with construction crews that were sanding, painting, and installing equipment. With school starting tomorrow, it looks like things may be a bit chaotic for the first several weeks as various things are finished up.
Thanks for the film, Scott. Really gave a good feel. I notice you WOULD show the neatly arranged cables (smile)..
Great video, thanks for the tour.
Seattle should be proud of the money that we have invested in our schools and libraries. A visitor to Seattle should look at Garfield (as well as many other renovated schools) and the downtown library and think that we have our priorities straight. I hope the kids that go to Garfield are inspired by the investment that we are making in them.
We should all remember that first-class physical facilities are only part of the equation. We should be willing to invest just as much in talented faculty as well. Better salaries paired with excellent facilities would be very powerful recruiting tools.
Yes, the new light filled hallways are a great and wonderful departure from the days when the great education at Garfield occurred despite the facilities and the days when the library fell into the auditorium during the Nisqually Earthquake.
However, there were fond memories, and a few have been preserved. The original and historic facade and the stairwells and the windows were land marked and preserved, along with the entry way and ceiling. Murals were also preserved; some were saved intact while others had to be digitized for reproduction. All will eventually be displayed as the details are finished. The site of the original stage, which had been lost and certainly is not remembered by recent grads, is honored in the new commons area.
This has been a long time coming. Garfield’s wonderful students, faculty, and staff returned to school today.
P.S. And by the way, the third floor is now connected to the annex via one of the new light-filled hallways.