Wells Kastner Schipper Selected to Design Renovations at Roosevelt
A subcommittee of the Roosevelt Site Team met for a full day in December to receive presentations from four architectural design firms, and concluded the day by selecting Architects Wells Kastner Schipper, a local firm, partnering with the educational consulting firm of Gould Evans Goldman and Associates out of Kansas City, to design the renovations at Roosevelt High School. Selection of the design group is subject to school board approval.
The site team, comprised of Roosevelt parents, faculty, administrators, students, alumni and others, has been meeting for almost two years to develop a building and educational plan and to select a design group. Chaired by Roosevelt parent Laurie Sloterdyk, the site team will continue to work with the design group, the school district and the construction management firm throughout the upcoming year-long design process. The site team will maintain involvement through construction, slated to begin June 2005 and to be completed by July 2008. (Preliminary discussions suggest that most or all classes will remain on campus during construction, though this could change depending upon circumstances.)
As part of the district-wide Schools First renovation effort, initiated four years ago and funded with a penny local-option sales tax, Doug Wells?’ architectural firm has already designed major renovations at Greenwood Elementary as well as Monroe Elementary. As with all four of the design groups that were finalists for the Roosevelt leg of the Schools First project, Wells has direct Roosevelt connections, with one son recently graduated and another attending Roosevelt currently.
The district currently estimates that a total of $16.8 million will be available for renovations at Roosevelt. This is several million dollars below original estimates, with the shortfall attributable to a slumping economy and declining sales tax revenue. The challenge will be to stretch the funds as far as possible to not only update the basic infrastructure (including air conditioning throughout) but also to redesign some spaces to better facilitate the wide variety of programs and activities that involve students, staff, faculty and the community. The facility plan stresses that renovations should blend seamlessly with the existing facility and that the architectural character of the building must be maintained.
A subcommittee of the Roosevelt Site Team met for a full day in December to receive presentations from four architectural design firms, and concluded the day by selecting Architects Wells Kastner Schipper, a local firm, partnering with the educational consulting firm of Gould Evans Goldman and Associates out of Kansas City, to design the renovations at Roosevelt High School. Selection of the design group is subject to school board approval.
The site team, comprised of Roosevelt parents, faculty, administrators, students, alumni and others, has been meeting for almost two years to develop a building and educational plan and to select a design group. Chaired by Roosevelt parent Laurie Sloterdyk, the site team will continue to work with the design group, the school district and the construction management firm throughout the upcoming year-long design process. The site team will maintain involvement through construction, slated to begin June 2005 and to be completed by July 2008. (Preliminary discussions suggest that most or all classes will remain on campus during construction, though this could change depending upon circumstances.)
As part of the district-wide Schools First renovation effort, initiated four years ago and funded with a penny local-option sales tax, Doug Wells?’ architectural firm has already designed major renovations at Greenwood Elementary as well as Monroe Elementary. As with all four of the design groups that were finalists for the Roosevelt leg of the Schools First project, Wells has direct Roosevelt connections, with one son recently graduated and another attending Roosevelt currently.
The district currently estimates that a total of $16.8 million will be available for renovations at Roosevelt. This is several million dollars below original estimates, with the shortfall attributable to a slumping economy and declining sales tax revenue. The challenge will be to stretch the funds as far as possible to not only update the basic infrastructure (including air conditioning throughout) but also to redesign some spaces to better facilitate the wide variety of programs and activities that involve students, staff, faculty and the community. The facility plan stresses that renovations should blend seamlessly with the existing facility and that the architectural character of the building must be maintained.
