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The lower concrete steps will be replaced.
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Uncovering the 'tunnel.'
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Major site work is nearly complete and the school is tied into the street.

North Adams School Project Uncovering History

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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A ventilation tunnel dating from the 1890s was uncovered during site work at Colegrove Park Elementary School.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Renovation work on Colegrove Park Elementary School continues to uncover historic elements of the 125-year-old property.

Last week, crews were stumped by the appearance of brick-lined "tunnels" under the now demolished gym.

Historical Commission Chairwoman Justyna Carlson on Monday explained that the mysterious features date back to a previous iteration of the school.

"We looked back in the June 2006 [newsletter] of the Historical Society and it had the drawings in of the ventilation system which was put in in the 1890s," she told the School Building Committee.

Apparently, Carlson said, "they had trouble with the latrines."

Kristian Whitsett, designer with Jones Whitsett Architects, said they suspected that was the case because the tunnels were closed off at each end.

"Our guess was that it might be part of an old ventilation system in the old building," he said. "We came across a diagram at one point."

Vertical vents would have transitioned into the horizontal shafts.

The "tunnels" date from the second building on the site that replaced the original Drury Academy. A third structure built in 1915, the current one, is being renovated into an elementary school set to open in fall 2015.

The construction has uncovered arches and other details, as well as a brick exterior from the older building that was incorporated into the newer one.

Preservation of the historic details has been an important part of the renovation. Whitsett said terra cotta elements found in the building have been removed to prevent more damage.


"The other preservation challenge is in what was the library and what will be the library," he said. "The wood pieces will have to be documented and replaced once structural walls are taken out."

The coffered ceilings of the former-future library will be restored.

Site work is nearly complete and utilities have been tied into the street. There has been more concrete, "much more," in the basement areas than anticipated, said Whitsett.

The library created when the building became a middle school has been gutted in preparation of becoming the new gym.

"They've taken the balcony out and it's one big space and it looks pretty cool," said Margo Jones of Jones Whitsett.

Mayor Richard Alcombright said the the work so far is within the contingency budget.

"We haven't hit the contingencies hard at this point," he said.

The problematic retaining wall on the west side of the building may finally be resolved, he said, although the comment prompted chuckles from the committee members.

The city has been trying to reach a deal for many months with Carver Family Dentristry to access the practice's parking lot to build a second wall in front of the deteriorating stone wall.

Alcombright said it was a matter of fine-tuning the language with the anticipation of work beginning around Sept. 9 and being completed by Sept. 30.

"It will be less intrusive on the property owner than we had thought it would be," said the mayor.

More photos can be seen on the blog being kept by Jones Whitsett Architects here.


Tags: Colegrove Park,   Conte School,   school building committee,   school project,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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