Hempfield Area officials get look at high school renovation plans
Hempfield Area School District students stand to gain several perks — including space for a student union and new performance arts and athletic wings — once a multimillion-dollar high school renovation project is completed, drawings show.
Officials with Oakmont-based SitelogiQ and Bellevue-based Core Architects recently presented school directors with schematic designs, or rough drawings, showing the future layout of the high school. Plans for the project, first approved in March, involve gutting the high school to its structural system and rebuilding everything.
According to the drawings, the building will feature a secure entrance and lobby and new administration, guidance, nursing and security suites. Those offices will be followed by a student support area, including a cafe and student store.
A new athletic wing will be connected with the field house. It will feature an eight-lane swimming pool and a competition gym.
The library will be enhanced to include a media center and student union, which will act as a space where students can participate in esports, or play pingpong or foosball, said Pete Szymanski, principal architect at Core Architects.
An expanded cafeteria will be next to the library, featuring seating on both the first and second floors, as well as a raised outdoor space. Officials plan to renovate the kitchen with the help of Carnegie-based Food Facilities Concepts. The total design fee is $41,250.
The renovated school also will include an enhanced performance arts wing, which will feature a band room and theater with improved sight lines, a full fly loft, an accessible stage and improved lighting and sound.
Designs also show classroom space throughout the structure for social studies, math, world languages, family consumer science, technology education, fine arts, science and English.
A basement area will include a rifle range for the school’s rifle team, a wrestling room and space for large group instruction for athletic teams.
Officials also plan to invest in a new roof and windows, and will reconfigure bathrooms to include accessible and gender-neutral rooms.
The project is expected to cost between $97 million and $110 million.
Asset protection
In addition to the high school renovation project, school officials are looking into upgrades at the district’s other buildings.
Officials last month presented school directors with the first phase of those projects, which will focus on HVAC units at Maxwell, West Hempfield and West Point elementary schools, as well as West Hempfield Middle School. The cost will total $3.4 million.
Board members voted 8-1 last month to move forward with them. School Director Vince DeAugustine voted against the motion, expressing concerns that the cost was $1 million more than originally anticipated.
He asked why board members were unable to get itemized costs for the projects, whether a bulk discount was available for purchasing chillers for several elementary schools, and to see bids received for the project.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the taxpayers that we just say its $1 million over and don’t ask any questions,” DeAugustine told the Tribune-Review.
Related:
• Hempfield Area officials get sneak peek of ideas for high school project
• Hempfield moves forward with borrowing plan for school construction
In response to DeAugustine’s questions, Arnold said: “They are high, there’s no doubt, compared to the numbers that were in the asset conditional assessment. They’re high for various reasons, either incorrect estimates (or) the hyperinflation that has occurred. I think just around the area there’s been numerous number of districts that have bid their projects and they’ve come in ridiculously high to the point where a lot of these districts haven’t moved forward.”
While other board members also raised concerns over rising prices, they decided to move forward with the project over worries that prices would continue to rise and the possibility of long lead times in receiving materials.
“We’re kicking the can down the road on these projects,” said school Director Jerry Radebaugh. “I think these are buildings that need fixed, and, by pushing this out, we’re not only pushing out potentially the price but we’re not going to be ready for next year, for the kids to come back to school and they’re not going to have air conditioning again.”
Work on those projects is expected to begin in the spring.
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