Forgotten Water Tower Pauses St. Cloud School Addition

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - A very unique construction hiccup has been encountered during the addition project at District 742’s McKinley School.

Workers preparing the site last fall found the foundation of a water tower that previously occupied the site.

Amy Skaalerud is the Executive Director of Finance and Business Services for District 742. She says the extra dirt work is one of the reasons behind the additional $300,000 needed for the project.

The Stearns History Museum provided photos of the old water tower. While the structure was torn down, not all of the underground foundation was removed. The remaining foundation was discovered during when contractors used the warm weather to do some early dirt work before construction started.

The board previously approved $3.4 million in funding for a McKinley Area Learning Center addition. An additional $450,000 was approved for the renovation of the existing restrooms at the center.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board unanimously approved an additional $300,000 for the project.