Date: Fri 21-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

Hawley-school-addition-kaestle

Full Text:

SCHOOL BD CHANGES PLANS FOR HAWLEY SCHOOL; COST TRIPLES

B Y A MY D'O RIO

Original building project plans for Hawley School have been scrapped in favor

of an addition to the school's north side.

It makes more sense, according to school officials, but it also costs three

times as much as the original project was first estimated to cost. The altered

project is estimated to cost $3.6 million instead of the $1.2 million first

quoted.

The architects, Kaestle Boos Associates in New Britain, have said that the

$1.2 million is no longer a realistic figure. The original project probably

would now cost around $1.8 million, and it is uncertain how much the state

would reimburse.

The architects said the state would reimburse most or all of the new project.

On Thursday, the Board of Education authorized the change recommended by the

architects at a joint meeting with the Public Building and Site Commission.

The building commission supports the board's action, according to commission

chairman Frank Krasnickas.

"There is no one who feels the original plan has any merit at this point,"

said Herbert Rosenthal, the school board chairman.

The new Hawley plan proposes adding onto the north side of the building. The

project would still include replacing windows and improving the driveway, but

unlike the original plan, would not build a connector between the school and

the temporary classrooms. The temporary building would instead be razed.

The addition would include new offices, a library, a gym, music and art rooms,

four classrooms, a science room, and an elevator to make the school accessible

to handicapped persons.

The Hawley School renovation project originally consisted of building a

connector from the school to the temporary classrooms; moving the library from

the second floor to the first; improving the driveway; installing new windows;

and moving the office.

It was part of a three-phase building plan with phase two consisting of

building a main entrance to the school and installing an elevator,

The architects have argued that phase one and two of the original project

would cost around $2.3 million to $2.4 million without providing substantial

improvement to the building.

Building in two phases would be costly, the connector is an expensive link for

a temporary building and not all of the project would be eligible for state

reimbursement, according to Hawley's architect Rusty Malik.

Mr Malik has said all of the addition would be eligible for the 40 percent

state reimbursement. Furthermore, the building project would be less

disruptive to school life.

Mr Rosenthal, the school board chairman, said the addition is more expensive,

but provides a better solution to the building's problems.

He said the board also appreciated that the addition would cause less

disruption to education.

Mr Rosenthal said if the project needs to be scaled back, the board can

eliminate the four classrooms. The architects can design the building so that

four classrooms can easily be added later, he said.

Without the four classrooms, the estimated project cost of the project is $2.9

million.