Upland Design Group has presented tentative design plans for building projects at Bobby Ray Elementary, Irving College, and Warren County High School.
“I need to stress that these designs are conceptual,” said Upland Design Group architect Derrick Clemow. “These are not the final products. These drawings will give you an idea of each site and what we see the budget can stretch to do. What we are asking from you tonight is guidance on where we go from here.”
Upland Design took what officials said they wanted done and attempted to work within budget constraints to achieve the desired changes, says Clemow.
“Our goal tonight is to talk about what our marching orders were and where those marching orders led us from a standpoint of budget,” Clemow said. “We have respected the budgetary constraints we were handed. During this process, Irving College’s site became confined basically to what it is. We have done some preliminary looking at all of the properties. Surveys are under way at the high school.”
Project Design
Timeline:
Jan., 2015 – Approval of refined design (schematic design)
March/ April – Documentation for obtaining bids
May 1, approximately – Receive bids
May 20, approximately – start construction
At WCHS, a new weight room will be constructed and attached to the rear of the main building where handicap parking currently exists. While a new athletic practice facility will be away from the main building in that same area, it will be attached to the main building with a canopy.
The athletic practice facility will be ventilated but not air conditioned.
“It would be a multi-purpose athletic facility and only that,” said Clemow. “It’s heated and ventilated only. It’s not air conditioned. It has any number of uses. It could be grass or tartan surface. It would be the width of a football field and length of 35 yards. For football use, that would be it. This could be used for soccer or training.”
New bathrooms will be added next to the new weight room. The bathrooms can be accessed by individuals using either the new weight room or the athletic practice facility. It can also be accessed after school hours, if needed, by students practicing.
The budget is $1.1 million: Site civil work $60,000, weight room addition $320,000, and multipurpose building $720,000.
 At Bobby Ray, plans are to remove the existing band building, add a new floor for the existing gym, add new bathrooms, new mechanical units, ADA connection to rest of campus, and new electrical and lighting in the gym, and establishing a courtyard area.
 “The band room, we think, has outlived by several years its usefulness,” said Clemow. “We think the band building comes down. We’ve talked to people locally about the cost of demolition. We think the band building needs to go away. Once it goes away, it opens up some opportunities.”
 Proposed in the band room area will be construction of a new lobby area that includes bathrooms, concession and minimal storage that connects to the gym.
 The budget is $800,000: Replace lighting $50,000, paint ceiling and walls $30,000, replace gym floor $100,000, fire rating $15,000, demolition $45,000, air conditioning $175,000, electrical upgrade $75,000, handicap seating $10,000, handicap parking $25,000, and new lobby $265,000, which amounts to $790,000.
 Clemow says new bleachers are not included in the design plans. However, Director of School Bobby Cox says new bleachers will be included as an alternate in the bid documents to see how much the cost would be and if they are financially feasible.
 Unlike renovation of WCHS which will not interrupt classes, Bobby Ray renovation will have to be done in two phases during the summers of 2015 and 2016 to prevent disrupting the school year.
  At Irving College, a new gymnasium and cafeteria will be constructed at the back of the existing building. The two structures will be connected to the main building with a gym lobby, two new classrooms, and bathrooms.
 According to Upland Design architect Carl Deskins, because expansion ability is limited, the new classrooms and reconfiguring the existing places will increase the size of the school to support about 100 more students.
 Renovation will be conducted in two phases, with phase one beginning in the summer of 2015 and completed in the spring of 2016 and phase two beginning in early summer 2016 and completed in late summer 2016.
 While a financial breakdown for Irving College renovation was not given, the budget is $3 million.
 School Board Building and Grounds Committee members approved the conceptual plans. Clemow says architects will meet with principals from each school to get their input on the tentative plans.