Athletic facility at GSHS construction site collapses

Athletic facility at GSHS construction site collapses

A portion of the $7.5 million athletic practice pavilion under construction at the new Gulf Shores High School campus collapsed on Monday, Jan. 27. There were no workers on-site at the time of the collapse and no one was injured.
“We understand that an incident like this raises questions and concerns about the safety of this facility. While the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, we want to reassure the public that this facility was designed to a 174 mph wind load rating, will be constructed in strict compliance with building codes, and will be required to pass all inspections from ADCM,’’ the city stated in a release.
Officials broke ground on the $137 million, 287,000-square-foot high school in April 2024 with occupancy slated for the fall of 2026 at the corner of the Beach Express and Coastal Gateway Boulevard.
“This is a covered practice facility with artificial turf and associated locker rooms and other facilities. It’s just coming up out of the ground,” Gulf Shores spokesman Grant Brown said.