FAYETTEVILLE — Police are investigating vandalism at the high school construction site. No arrests have been made, police said.
Vandals broke into a building under construction at the corner of Bulldog Boulevard and Stadium Drive. Several aerosol cans of foam insulation were sprayed on carpet recently installed in the 176-seat lecture hall, said Phil Jones, project executive for Nabholz Construction Services. The room is on the first floor.
The solution has an adhesive property and hardens as it dries, Jones said. It is commonly used to insulate pipe fittings that extend from a wall.
Early morning reports from the school district said the substance was carpet glue. Jones clarified later Monday it was foam insulation spray. Jones also said reports that vandals sprayed fire extinguishers were unsubstantiated.
The vandalism was discovered Monday morning when construction crews arrived. A damage estimate is not yet available, Jones said. The carpet in the 2,258-square-foot hall will be replaced.
There was no immediate information about how the intruders got inside. David Tate, the district’s maintenance director, said the entire construction site is surrounded by 6-foot and 8-foot chain link fence and the gates are padlocked when workers aren’t there.
Jones said the company will take additional security measures. Security cameras in the building were not activated.
The construction company is considered the owner of the building until it is completed and accepted by the school district.
Tate said this was the first incident of vandalism since construction began two years ago. Jones said the building’s completion is still expected by the first day of school Aug. 19.
The building features 52 classrooms, laboratories and a library. The $96 million high school project is scheduled to be finished in August 2015.