Seen through a hole in the fence, a construction worker walks across the newly renovated deck of the Tower Building. The recently planted grass in front of the Palo Alto High School Tower Building sparks excitement for the long-awaited construction to end around the school According to junior Parker Anderson, he is eagerly anticipating for the building to be open to students. " I look forward to being able to spend more time there [...] and also just being able to see what it [Tower Building] will look like," Anderson said. (Photo: Divij Motwani)
Since 2022, Palo Alto High School’s Tower Building, home to the main office, Wellness Center and many other facilities, has been under construction. The renovated building, set for completion around mid-to-late April, will consist of a refurbished library, a large patio, gender-neutral bathrooms and a newly added elevator.
The Paly Voice asked students and staff members about their thoughts on the construction nearing completion and its effect on the Paly campus.
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“When those fences come down and it’s spring and there’s a pretty place to sit under the sun it’s just going to be really enjoyable. … It’s also going to be nice having the administration in one place. I’m mainly looking forward to looking out our windows and not seeing the construction fences.”
— Sima Thomas, librarian |
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“I’m excited. There’s going to be a lot of new and great facilities that students and staff can both utilize, so it’s great that they’re finishing it up.”
— William Xue, 10th grade |
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“To me, it [the Tower Building] looks really good, so I’m happy that it’s getting updated, but it’s a little frustrating that it’s taking so long.”
— Riya Kini, 11th grade |
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“I’m glad that the construction will be done before I graduate, it’ll be nice to see what it looks like and the new interior. … Also, the Wellness Center used to be there, so it’ll be nice to see how they integrate the Wellness Center back in there.”
— Cherianne Yoon, 11th grade |
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“It’s as if part of our campus is being inaccessible to us because it kind of is, and I wish we had more transparency on what’s going on in the project. I wish people would tell us why the deadlines keep being pushed back every time.”
— Ella Suriani, 10th grade |
