Building: Colemon Wright's Interview

Colemon Wright, the son of the school's namesake, Reverend James Coloemon Wright, was the Assistant Project Manager with Tri North Builders Inc. when the school was built. He was interviewed about the school on January 18, 2001. 

What was your role in the job?

Along with Tom Thayere, the project manager, we had the opportunity to build the school from the ground up.

Describe the land you had to build on.

Basically the land had been a marsh and later repurposed as a landfill. We had to dig 25 feet down to get to rock, and install concrete pylons to establish and maintain structural integrity. We took out quite a bit of soil, put in good top soil that would hold grass; we also put in drainage tile around the building. We re-built the displaced baseball diamond in conjunction with the City of Madison Parks Division. We also redid the road going to the diamond from Plaenert Road. Schools choosing a site to build on may want to consider not choosing a plot of land downhill. Today, the school pumps water from its crawlspace to prevent the building from flooding.

(Soft ground at the site will require deep pilings to support the structure, and the high water table makes a basement impossible, Shields, the project architect said. Even the school's flagpole has to be attached to the building because a free-standing pole would either sink or require extra-deep footers, Shields said. --Wisconsin State Journal, April 17, 1996)

How smoothly did the job go in comparison to other similar jobs?

This was my initial job with Tri North , nonetheless it went smoothly compared to similar projects. Of course some elements of the design turned out to be not economically feasible.

What items did you have to alter because they weren't practical or feasible? What changes did you have to make from the original design?

The gymnasium floor was supposed to be wood but moist ground conditions prevented them from installing one.

What are your thoughts on the school today?

The concept changed from what it was originally supposed to be--a specialized school with students who would greatly contribute to society--its capacity was great; that no longer seems to be the focus. I've been disappointed with the behavior of the kids; The kids do not seem ready for school; they need more education at home.