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Gateway School District is moving along on a multimillion-dollar renovation project that is expected to lead to a hike in property taxes.
Plans aimed at addressing an ever-decreasing student enrollment have for years landed the administration on two buildings: Gateway Middle School and Moss Side Middle School.
Ideas have included selling Gateway Middle and using the proceeds to demolish Moss Side and build a new school there. That changed when the district failed to sell Gateway Middle School. As of August 2019, the roadmap includes closing Moss Side, renovating Gateway Middle School and placing fifth- through eighth-grade students into the revamped building.
Moss Side would then be used to house administrative offices.
Plans began rolling when the school board voted 7-2 to float a bond worth up to $40 million in March. The bulk of that money – $30 million – would be used to renovate Gateway Middle School. The left over money would be used for other capital projects within the district.
During an Oct. 15 building and grounds committee meeting, district officials heard from Axis Architecture, a Mt. Lebanon-based firm hired to draw plans within the district’s budget. They include construction costs of $31 million, after the administration decided against certain architectural flairs and other construction features. The cuts saved the district around $2.9 million off the original sticker price.
According to Axis’ plans, the money will still buy nearly 122,000 square-feet of renovated space and just north of 58,000 square-feet of new space, including “four fingers” – separate wings that jut out on the property to house classrooms with outdoor courtyards between them. It will also add 580 lockers to bring the total to 1,400. The site will be equipped with 84 additional parking spaces and a revamped outdoor sports complex.
The project will lead to a property tax hike, Business Manager Paul Schott has said.
But, in the long run, the district will save money on energy costs and other costly maintenance on the decades-old buildings, Facilities Director Bob Brown has said.
Board president Mary Beth Cirucci said the board has not committed to a start-date for the project. But all the preparatory work is being done. The board has hired a geotechnical firm – Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc. – and has advertised bids for the project’s construction management firm.
Axis said the construction could start by May. Whenever construction comes, students and staff at Gateway Middle School will be moved to classrooms at Moss Side, Cirucci said.
Cirucci said a May construction date is possible, but that the district is waiting to commit to a date to make sure the financials are straight. For one, the bond money has not yet been secured. Cirucci said officials are waiting for optimal interest rates. Secondly, she said the board is waiting to hear the business manager’s presentation on budget reconciliation.
“We want to know how we stacked up from last year to this year – how much we projected and how much we actually spent,” Cirucci said, adding that the presentation is expected soon.
That presentation is important because covid-19 could complicate the budget come May and June when the board is required to plan for the next year in spending.
To view the district’s renovation plans, visit its website.
Dillon Carr is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Dillon at 412-871-2325, dcarr@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Local | Monroeville Times Express
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