Date: Fri 12-Dec-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

high-school-project

Full Text:

NHS Project Heads To Completion In January

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Newtown High School lobby was finally open to students and staff last

week, signaling a near completion of the school's $28-million face lift.

NHS Principal Bill Manfredonia said this week that he hopes the massive

renovation/addition will be completed by late January. When completed, it will

bear little resemblance to the troublesome old school built in 1970.

"We're coming down to the end," the principal said Tuesday.

The project began 16 months ago, soon after the town voted in favor of the

expenditure nearly 2-1. Voters also approved a smaller project at Hawley

School.

Last week, the high school suddenly grew in size as workers finally opened a

refurbished lobby area, main office, guidance department and career center.

Those areas had been closed off since the start of school in late summer.

Three weeks ago, the school's new media center, now tripled in size, was

opened to students and staff. The roomier library looks out onto a courtyard,

which divides the existing school with the school's new 73,000-square-foot

addition. The library includes institutional and distance learning classrooms,

computer work stations, stacks, reading areas and a faculty professional

library.

"It's such a pleasure to know that there's room for whatever number of

students need to be in there," Mr Manfredonia said.

The old library had just 5,500 square feet of space. The new athenaeum is a

spacious 13,000 square feet.

By next week, the school's chorus, culinary and band rooms are also expected

to open. After that, all that remains to be completed will be the technology

rooms, graphic arts and auto shop on the school's lower level.

The opening of school was delayed by a few days in September as workers rushed

to finish the 73,000-square-foot addition on the north side of the building.

Once that was completed, school was open, but many areas were off limits as

construction continued. Those areas are finally becoming accessible to

students, but it has taken more than three months and everyone was forced to

compromise.

Many of the improvements to the school can't be seen on the surface. They

include an extensive mechanical overhaul to update and replace the heating,

ventilating and air conditioning systems. A large section of the roof has also

been replaced.

The track at Bruce Jenner Stadium is still not completed, according to Mr

Manfredonia. However, he said crews will have it ready for track & field

season in the spring.

Running On Empty

This past fall, the project's $1 million contingency fund appeared to be

running on empty. However, School Business Director John Torok said he is

confident the project will not go over budget.

Several surprisingly large bills arrived in the mail this past fall, sending

contingency expenses through the roof. Two of those bills have put an

additional $330,000 dent in the fund, which is set up to cover unforeseen

costs on large projects.

"I don't think there's going to be a lot left, but I honestly don't think

we're going to run out," Mr Torok said Thursday.

Nearly $700,000 of the $1 million has already been used from the fund to cover

change orders at the site. Some of them are still pending. Also, the school

system received an invoice for moving and storage totalling $225,000 in the

fall, a huge bill considering the school had only set aside $40,000 for moving

and storage.

During the project, school officials said they were forced to find an outside

source to store furniture and other school materials. Originally, the plans

called for storing the material in the high school's new addition. However, it

was not completed in time and requests to store the material at Town Hall

South were denied by then-First Selectman Bob Cascella. The school was

surprised when a second bill, totalling $180,000, arrived for dumpster usage.

This bill was especially surprising since only $30,000 was budgeted for

dumpsters. This was an apparent error made by the project's general

contractor, O&G Industries.