The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
STUDENTS FINISH 20TH HOME BUILD
Home will be auctioned off on Aug. 10, school officials report
Auburn Career Center’s construction program has done it again.
The class, consisting of 20 juniors and 20 seniors, recently finished its latest home construction project, the school’s 20th unit in the last 21 years.
Next month, the Concord Township structure at 7113 Auburn Road will be up for bid, culminating in roughly a year’s work which included every element of home building, including clearing of the 5-acre parcel the home sits on.
School officials said the parcel, split into three adjacent lots, will serve as sites for homes in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years.
“The nice thing about buying this lot is that we’re able to ensure that the next three years of houses are able to happen,” said Auburn Superintendent Brian Bontempo. “Our challenges are going to be when we run out of reasonably priced property near the school. Part of the key to the program is that students can get in a bus or van, get here in a few minutes and start working every day.”
The current home is less than two miles from school
"The nice thing about buying this lot is that we’re able to ensure that the next three years of houses are able to happen.” — Brian Bontempo, Auburn superintendent
grounds.
The 2,056-square-foot home — three bedrooms, 2½ baths, with a full basement, two-car garage and a covered deck — is funded by Auburn’s general budget, detailed program instructor Bob Hill.
“There is the minimum bid for the house, $297,000, which is what we will return to the school,” Hill said, who is also a graduate of the program. “Auburn currently owns the house. We’re responsible to give the money back when Auburn sells the house.”
Typically beginning in August, last year’s home project got off to a late start, getting underway in
the fall. Weather was also a challenge throughout the year, but it all pulled together eventually, Hill pointed out.
“It was an issue, for sure, but if it was raining or too windy, we could work inside,” he said. “We’ve worked both ends of the spectrum when the weather was hard. With winter months, naturally, it was tougher to work outside in, but the kids, they learn to work through it. Having to deal with the elements is part of a lot construction projects.”
All 20 juniors in the program, including Tyler Kestranek and Kyle Cosiano, are returning next year.
“I think that’s awesome,” Tyler said. “I don’t know anyone who didn’t enjoy it. I love seeing the finished product. It’s satisfying to see something start from nothing and become something like this. It goes quicker than you would think, too.”
Kyle said seeing last year’s home motivated him to get involved.
“I heard about the finished
house from last year, before I got to Auburn, and I thought it was cool and wanted to be a part of the next one.”
The duo said their favorite parts include framing and tiling.
“A lot of times the little things bring out the most details,” Kyle said, adding he and Tyler are looking forward to the next project and assisting new students to the program. “Construction is something we both want to get into after we graduate.”
The program’s paid dividends, too, as Hill said it appears every member of the senior class this last year have landed jobs locally in the field.
“I don’t know anyone who didn’t (find a job),” Hill added. “Anybody who wanted to work found
something. That’s great.
“I had a young lady last year who was into the designing and now she’s in an architectural program at Kent State University.”
Bontempo noted the variety of skills that the industry has and said providing “real-life” experience to every student is the ultimate goal.
“That’s what it is, two years of exploring the construction trades, where each student can eventually specialize in areas they really like,” he said. “That’s good to know because the students are aware that there are careers in the directions they want to pursue.”
Students even worked on the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority’s Better Flip home, drawing some of
the concepts for the “suburban showcase” model home in Willowick on E. 305th Street.
Hill and his assistant Phil Stropki said the home is built from the ground up, with students present to survey digging and stakes being placed, to when the excavator shows up.
“If they don’t see it every step of the way, they miss out,” Hill said. “The only thing we did pre-constuction this year was clear the (three) lots. It was just more cost-effective. This is a huge responsibility. This project is as real as you can get.”
Open houses will be held Aug. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Aug. 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Aug. 10 auction will also allow the public to view at the house from 10 a.m. to 11.