The proposal for a new Taconic High School was years in the making. Initial discussions ranged from creating a regional vocational district to whether the city should pursue a two-school or "one-school" plan that would close Pittsfield High School.
With no interest in developing a regional school, the city moved forward with what eventually became a focus on renovating or rebuilding Taconic. Last fall, the School Building Needs Commission voted to pursue a new school after cost estimates for additions and renovations came in at about the same price. Projected repairs at the school with no addition were in the $36 million ballpark; state funding was limited.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority reimburses up to 80 percent of eligible costs, such as for instructional spaces. The anticipated cost is $120.8 million of which the city will be responsible for $45 million.
The City Council will vote on whether or not to fund the project on Tuesday, April 14. Following that vote, the MSBA will have to approve its own reimbursement on Wednesday, June 3.
At that point, design development phase in which the consultants Skanska USA will work with city officials to further flesh out details and hire a construction manager at risk. That process is expected to include a daylong session for officials to sort through all of the proposals. Ultimately, the group will determine who they'll hire to head the project and enter negotiations. Pre-construction work will also happen during this phase.
|
Auditorium
The design features a gymnasium and auditorium that will be smaller than the current ones.
The current gym is much bigger than the state's ideal at 14,348 square feet, more than 2,000 square feet bigger than the state standard.
|
| |
Taconic High School Today
CLICK TO VIEWDesign
CLICK TO VIEW Front & Back
CLICK TO VIEWAuditorium
CLICK TO VIEWSite Plan
CLICK TO VIEWSecond Floor
CLICK TO VIEWThird Floor
CLICK TO VIEWMSBA Process
CLICK TO VIEWFirst Floor
CLICK TO VIEWAcademics
CLICK TO VIEWFuture Expansion
CLICK TO VIEW