Current Facility/Pool Updates
Board approves pool and facility plan
At a special meeting on Mon., Aug. 1, 2016, the Board of Education took action to adopt a five-year pool and facilities plan. After much consideration and community input, the Board approved a motion to adopt Plan B. This plan calls for replacing the crumbling pools with a new 40-meter pool and garage on the site of the current garage. It also adds classrooms to accommodate a more than 20% growth in performing arts class enrollment, renovates locker rooms to mitigate health and safety issues, and improves learning spaces. (Click here for a chart that summarizes plan B in comparison to the other two options that were considered). The Board also directed the administration and Legat Architects to present the Board with a revised plan B that brings the cost down by roughly 15%, to no more than $45 million.
The Board has scheduled a special meeting on Aug. 16, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room, to approve a revised plan and as well as a funding structure. As has been previously announced, the Board intends to pay for the project with a combination of $20 million in cash and the remainder from a bond issue. At its Aug. 16 meeting, the Board will approve a referendum question to be placed on the Nov. 8, 2016, ballot, seeking the community’s approval for the bond issue.
July 28, 2016, Special Board meeting. The Board received the following reports in preparation for taking action to choose a plan at its Aug. 1, 2016, Special meeting:
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Five-Year Pool and Facilities Plan Community Engagement Phase II Findings: Report on the feedback from the July 19 and 20 community meetings.
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Report on Quantitative Research: Results of a July 2016 community phone survey conducted by Fako Research & Strategies.
July 19 and 20, 2016, Phase II Community Engagement Meetings: Board, administration, and architects gave a presentation on three potential options for a five-year pool and facilities plan, distributed an updated comparison chart, and held a modified gallery walk where participants could view drawings and provide feedback/ask questions.
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PowerPoint presentation (with presenter notes)
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Comparison of Five-Year Pool and Facilities Plan Options (update of June 30, 2016, DRAFT Long Term Facilities Plan Option Comparison Chart). NOTE: A later, more detailed study of potential use found that the facilities plan with a single 40-meter pool would provide the greatest number of community lane hours/week. More information.
June 30, 2016, Special Board meeting. Legat Architects presented three potential options for a long term facility plan, each with a different pool option.
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Long Term Facility Plan South End Options: Report from Legat
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DRAFT Long Term Facilities Plan Option Comparison Chart NOTE: A later, more detailed study of potential use found that the facilities plan with a single 40-meter pool would provide the greatest number of community lane hours/week. More information.
June 14, 2016, Special Board meeting: Board receives several reports (below), including drawings and a cost estimate for an additional pool design option brought forward by Board member Dr. Steve Gevinson.
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Summary cover memo. Note: It was later determined that the $38.7 million cost estimate for Pool Option 5B (referred to in the memo) did not include an additional 30% for soft costs, as all the other estimates had, bringing the estimated total to $50.3 million.
May 17, 2016, Special Board meeting: Board receives several reports (below). Also received additional options for a pool design, brought forward by Board member Dr. Steve Gevinson. The Board asked Legat to review one of the options to see if it meets the school's needs and move forward with a cost estimate if so.
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Pool Project Community Engagement Report: Report on the feedback from the more than 350 residents who participated in community engagement meetings about the pool in April 2016.
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Long Term Facility Plan: Report on three concepts, including pool options and costs. To see a shorter version with just the concept drawings and costs, click here.
April 9, 2016, Community engagement meetings begin: The district launched a series of three meetings with pool tours, presentations on new pool options and costs, and facilitated discussion groups. Roughly 150 community members attended the first meeting. Click below to download materials that were presented:
March 24, 2016, Board meeting update: Legat Architects has prepared new drawings and sent them to Construction Cost Systems Inc. for cost estimates. Plans and costs will be presented and community input will be gathered at three community meetings.
March 21, 2016: We've scheduled three community tours and meeting times in April. All are welcome to attend to learn more about the pools and provide input on the current options and costs. Click here for detailed information.
Feb. 26, 2016: "Solving the OPRF pool problem," Wednesday Journal editorial by board president Jeff Weissglass.
Feb. 25, 2016, Board meeting update: A working group of board members and administrators has been meeting to determine next steps regarding the pool project. The group has asked Legat Architects to reexamine and prepare drawings for additional options that might achieve a middle ground between (1) renovate the current pools within the existing footprint, and (2) implement the currently approved plan. Renovating would cost the least but would eliminate hosting competitive aquatic events and reduce PE capacity. The current plan would preserve programming but would cost significantly more and remove the parking garage.
The working group also is planning to hold community engagement meetings in April to gather input on pool options. To see the detailed memo from the Feb. 25, 2016, Board meeting, click here.