Hurricane Harvey left a trail of devastation in its wake on August 25, 2017, to the tune of $50 billion and 50 lives lost. It displaced a million people and damaged over 200,000 homes, according to Fortune Magazine. Phoenix Children’s Academy and its parent company, Cadence Education, reached out to Shiel Sexton to support restoration of the Academy because we have built several of their schools across the Carolinas.

Superintendent, Doug Looser, and his son, Kyle, embraced the challenge to temporarily relocate to the Houston area in early October to begin work on restoring the Academy. According to Doug, the Academy and several adjacent buildings were submerged in the storm, while other nearby structures were completely unaffected. However, nearby neighborhoods were a complete catastrophe just a few miles away. Mobile classrooms have been installed to accommodate the kids while renovation work is completed.

The project requires extensive mold remediation, soil restoration, and upfit of the Academy along with the exterior play areas. The biggest challenge is competition for labor and materials. “We are performing well because we are planning ahead,” notes Doug as he discusses the reconstruction. Doug explains that it is imperative an area be ready for the labor when called, or we may not get the crews back for many days due to high demand for workers.

Restoration will take about five months to complete. Doug and Kyle have really enjoyed the area and how motivated Houston is to get back on its feet. When asked about the best BBQ place in town, Doug replied, “We haven’t found a bad one yet, but Spring Creek is the best so far.” He also notes the weather is awesome this time of year.

A huge thank you to Doug, Kyle, Bill Cuddeback, and Teresa Bradley for making a difference in Houston.

 

 


The Messenger Newsletter | December 2017 | Shiel Sexton Carolinas