Aug 26, 2003 By April Straughters 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – The Brownsville Area School District is one step closer to its $21 million renovation project, which is expected to begin in November. According to architect Jeanine Russell of Molnar and Associates, the district’s Plan Con D, the financial documents and Plan Con E, the design, have been approved by the state.

She said Plan Con F, the construction documents, are the next to be approved. She said that her firm has hired an additional architect and draftsman to help with the final design phase.

Once that phase is complete, she said, the district will be ready for the bidding process.

The first phase of the renovation project will begin at the middle school, with the construction of a new gymnasium that will seat 1,500, new administration and guidance offices, technical education shops and family consumer science rooms, a weight room and locker room, Russell said.

Russell said the middle school renovations should be complete by the end of the first year of construction, but she said that the entire project would take two years to complete.

Acting Superintendent John R. Joseph said that he thinks the entire project will be an “orderly process” with little disruption to school activities.

“We rely on the expertise of our architect and construction manager to make as few disruptions as possible,” he said.

Russell said that her firm is currently working with the construction manager to put together a “phasing schedule” for the project to ensure a smooth process, with little disruptions.

She said students will be housed in temporary classrooms as their room is being renovated.

She expects more temporary classrooms or modular units to be installed after the project is in full swing.

Director John Evans, chairman of the buildings and grounds committee, said that he doesn’t expect any disruption to class and expects few if any problems.

“I don’t expect any disruptions. Not the way this team has been operating (this summer on a $1.4 million renovation project). I have a lot of confidence that things will start out smooth,” he said.

With the new renovation, Russell said, both schools will look like new buildings and will have air conditioning.

She said the two schools will be separate entities.

“They will be two very distinct schools,” she said.

Russell said although the middle school and high school will share the new gymnasium, the locker rooms will be separated. She said they will also share the auditorium and nurse’s suite.

Shared spaces also will include, the weight room, gifted education classroom, graphics labs, language and distance learning labs, attendance office and security office.

She said the schools will have their own libraries and cafeterias. Classrooms, guidance office and administrative offices are also separate.

The current high school gymnasium will be converted into a library and four classrooms. The school will also have a new entrance to the buildings.