Chicopee High renovations move forward

Date: 1/31/2012

Feb. 1, 2012

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

CHICOPEE — The process of converting the former Chicopee High School into a new middle school moves forward with the selection of an architect later this month, according to Mayor Michael Bissonnette, and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will consider a Chicopee-based firm.

Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc., which designed the new library and is working on a plan for the Chicopee Police Department, is among the companies being considered for the Chicopee High School re-use.

Bissonnette said the project is “a little bit trickier because it’s a renovation.”

The MSBA’s decision should be made when members of the selection committee meet on Feb. 28, the mayor added.

Once the architectural firm is selected, then the design of the project can commence and the scope of work defined, Bissonnette said. The goal is to “modernize the facility so it will be a middle school for the next 40 to 50 years,” he explained.

He anticipates the plans for the project to be completed by the end of this summer and construction would begin next year.

“The big question is if there are surprises structurally,” Bissonnette said.

City officials are trying to cap the city’s side of the project’s expenses at $6 million, which Bissonnette said would mean the overall budget would be up to $30 million. He believes the project would receive a reimbursement rate of 80 percent from the state.

At this stage, the main focus of the renovation would be upgrading the building’s wiring, technology and laboratory space, Bissonnette said. He wants the project to maintain the building’s façade.

The original plans were to “strip [the building] down to the studs,” an approach that carried an approximate $40 million price tag. It was subsequently scaled back and Bissonnette said, that based on this year’s construction costs, could be in the range of $15 million.

The building was opened in 1920 and had a final cost of $1 million. It was closed in 2004 with the opening of the new high school.

“It will be great to see that iconic building serving many generations of students,” Bissonnette said.