Public Building Commission Gets First Look At BHS Renovation Schematics

The special meeting of the Public Building Commission Thursday night was long and there was a load of information covered detailing the first specs from architects of the Berlin High School renovate as new project.

The major details were this:

• This was a first pass at the plans and nothing was set in stone.
• The architects’ feasibility study was just that, a feasibility study. Now these plans prepared by the architects have to be down to the half inch.
• The plans are a working document that will be massaged and revised.
• The architects measured the footprint of the building to find their original estimate of 250,000 was off by 1,514 square feet.
• According to architect Dean Petrucelli, he believes his charge is to develop the project to a program of studies within a budget.

The architects’ plan increases the square footage of the project but must stay within the budget.

Some of the highlights and changes in the new plan are:

• The nurse’s office will move from second floor to first floor adjacent to main office.
• Using the space and placing in a mezzanine and making an exercise room in the lower level will save the wrestling room. This is an option that will be priced as saving the wrestling room and without it.
• The Tech Ed space has been reconfigured. It will include a clean classroom or instruction.
• The amphitheatre will be cut in half. One half will stay and TV Production will use the other.
• Shipping and Receiving, which was termed a disaster because pallets couldn't fit down the corridors, will be improved. 
• The boys locker room and two team rooms will move upstairs adjacent to the B gym. 
• The music suite will grow in square footage and the auditorium will have approximately 600 seats with a larger stage. There is also a possibility of adding a balcony, which would seat between 100 and 250 more people. The project ill be priced with and without the balcony.
• The English, history and match classrooms will ring the senior courtyard.
• Child Development will have a direct entrance to the outside to accommodate dropping off and picking up children.

With the changes, the total addition increases to 36,245 additional square feet.

PBC Commissioner Jim Ouellette asked board members their thoughts on the additional square footage.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how the square footage changes, whether it increases or decreases, as long as it is within the budget and fulfills the program and curriculum needed," said board member Kevin Murphy.

Board member Tom Salimeno said, "As long as we have reasonable explanations about why things have been changed, I think it is within our view to do that. This is not a wish list but requirements for the new changes in curriculum."

When contacted about the project, Mayor Adam Salina said he was frustrated that some people might be killing the project before the final plans are seen. "The bottom line is we have a budget," he said. "All of the changes will have to fit in that budget or we will have to go back to the drawing board. We will not go over the budget that was approved by the voters at referendum.

"Now, like other projects, this project may very well come in under budget. In these difficult economic times, we may get labor or materials at a lower price because of the large scope of this project. I would just urge everyone to trust that we will guide this project along with the importance it deserves."

Board of Education President Gary Brochu said the project is no longer a BOE project.

"It's now in the hands of the Public Building Commission," he said. "The reimbursement rate is set by the state and may be higher than it was last year. And we have a budget. The community worked hard to get this to pass at referendum and when it is done I think it will be a beacon of pride for this community. We need this as a town and as a school system. When I saw the plans Monday night, I wanted to go ahead four years and have it just be complete. I don't want to wish time away but I can't wait to see this finished project."