Council Looks Closer At Wickford Elementary Conversion
The NK Town Council saw a feasibility study regarding the conversion of Wickford Elementary into a joint town and school administration building.
It has sat dormant on Phillips Street since its closure in 2005, but Wickford Elementary School may soon see a resurrection. The North Kingstown Town Council was treated to a feasibility study and possible plans to convert the old elementary school into a joint town-school administration building.
Edward Rowse Architects devised two options to rehabilitate the school, one at $6.9 million and another at $7.4 million. The latter of the two would feature more enhancements and include a larger addition to the third floor.
Both plans would have the town departments (including the town clerk, water department, town manager, and building officials office among others on the first floor and school department on the second floor. According to Jim Partridge of Rowse Architects, the school departments would see a reduction in space size if they were all put on the second floor. Department of Public Works Director Phil Bergeron stressed, however, that some these departments could be moved down to the basement level where the School Committee would holds its meetings and where much of the storage space would be located.
Morphing the building into a handicap accessible facility will also prove costly, as Rowse proposes adding at third story addition to the west side of the building that would contain an elevator, making the third floor handicap accessible. According to Partridge, the roof would also need to be replaced to cut down on leaks and to provide more efficient insulation.
Would expand the parking lot into what is now the basketball courts and part of the fields behind the school, totaling 100 parking spots.
Possible cuts to these options would be opting for repair of the buildings windows rather than full-out replacement.
“They are reparable, but there are costs associated with that,” said Bergeron.
According to Bergeron, these cost-cutting measures are “certainly in the range of $1 million.”
The facilities subcommittee will now review the study and return to the Town Council with its own findings in approximately two weeks.
Though site of Rhode Island’s first public school, the current structure of Wickford Elementary School was built in the 1920s with an addition in the 1950s. The building closed after the 2004-2005 school year following a year of heavy cuts and school reconfiguration.
MeanE
10:23 am on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
If the Town Council is having to cut recycling and the animal shelter, why in the world are they talking about spending $7 + million? Is this a need or a want? If it is a need, why? If it is a want, who wants it?
dragonlady
11:48 am on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The town receives funds for recycling why would they want to cut it out.
MeanE
12:06 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Good Question, see : Animal Shelter, Curbside Recycling Cut From Upcoming Budget here on the patch.
Kerri Hicks
1:39 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Interesting. Five years ago, a feasibility study showed that it would cost $1-2MM to renovate Wickford Elementary, for improvements that would make the building a safe, accessible place for students to learn.
Even if those numbers have doubled by now, I'd much rather see us spend $2-4MM to put that building back into use as a school. Remember, all the growth in NK is in the southern part of town, where there's only a single elementary school (Hamilton).
Applying only logic, and not attention to detail, I suggest we'd save millions of dollars if we closed a school of comparable size, reopened Wickford Elementary as a school, and moved the town offices into that closed school building, instead, wouldn't we? And our students would move into a historic, well-located, fantastic school building, while our administrative staff would move into fine facilities in a well-kept former elementary school. And no one is spending $7MM.
Breanne Bucka
1:56 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Why the heck did they close it instead of renovating in the first place, if we were just gunna spend FAR more doing this? And closing the animal shelter and screwing with recycling? This is ridiculous....
john boscardin
8:54 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I think the Davisville Elementary school is vacant as well. Why no consideration to this location?
Becky Blaine
8:28 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2011
John: Have you ever driven around Plantation Park (Davisville)? Davisville Elementary School is situated right smack in the middle of a neighborhood with no side walks. Can you imagine children riding around on bikes, parents walking their infants in strollers, people out walking their dogs having to dodge all the traffice that would be generated by having the Town Hall offices there? I believe it was a mistake to have closed DES. Politics are politics!
john boscardin
10:48 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2011
Becky: I just mentioned it as it is another vacant, town-owned building that may not be as expensive to renovate as compared to the ancient Wickford Elementary. I live near the current town hall and the neighborhood families behind and on either side of it do just fine. NIMBY perhaps?
Re: closing an elementary school was a necessity due to the steady drop in enrollment. Hopefully you voiced your opinion on DES closing to Dr. Thornton.
Matt Leonard
2:44 pm on Friday, March 18, 2011
Cost of recycling... simple math!
$450,000 per year
10,000 homes in NK
Pick-up every week (52 weeks year).
It cost .86¢ a week to have a truck come to my house for recycling!
One of the most cost effective services the town provides! It will cost me more in gas to drive to the transfer station!
Govstench
6:59 am on Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Question 2 is way over-priced. I am sure this retro work could be done for far less than what is being quoted here. Who’s pocket is being greased on this one?
Municipalities are coming under closer scrutiny with their bonded indebtedness and as you probably already know, certain municipalities are facing serious downgrades due to exposure to pension liabilities. Where is North Kingstown in that regard?
Also I don’t remember the Town Manager ever issuing a financial impact statement on each bond proposal and how that will affect the tax rate to the town. Where is he with this?