Architect says school needs more than patch-up work
The architect for the Uniontown Area School District’s high school renovation project said spending only $20 million to $25 million on repairs at the high school would cost taxpayers more money down the road. “It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money to go in and patch up the building,” said district architect Mark Altman of Altman & Altman in Uniontown. He maintained that if the school isn’t renovated properly, taxpayers could face another large bill down the road.
He said to renovate the 208,000-square-foot school would cost more than $25 million without doing anything educationally, claiming the building must come into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and today’s mechanical codes. Renovations to the high school cost $100 to $120 per square foot, he said.
The Rev. Peter Malik, co-chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), said his group supports a renovation plan devised by board member Ken Meadows that would cost $25 million.
Malik said the CAC agrees with sensible renovations to the entire existing building, such as painting, updating the sound system in the auditorium and fixing things that need fixing.
Altman said with a reduced number of classrooms under the CAC plan, the amount of money refunded by the state for the project would drop because that is the basis of reimbursement for a project.
The board earlier this month agreed to pay Altman approximately $850,000 for redesigned plans that would reduce the cost and square-foot additions to the building. By revising the current plans, the district will not have to pay for new drawings, Altman said.
Altman said his firm’s plan reduces sprawl by centralizing activity into a compact area, which will be accomplished through a classroom tower to be constructed in the Grant Street parking lot.
The CAC contends that sprawl has not affected generations of Uniontown Area High School graduates and shouldn’t be a problem now.
Uniontown Area School Board President Susan Clay said reducing sprawl is the right thing to do. “If you’re going to do it, do it right,” she said.
No board action on the high school project is planned at its 6:30 p.m. Thursday meeting, though 10 people are scheduled to speak on items regarding the project during public comment.
This is the board’s regular meeting for the month. It was originally scheduled for today, but was moved so people can attend tonight’s high school basketball team playoff game.