A major $147 million overhaul of three Hartford schools — one of the largest series of renovation projects in recent memory — is providing thousands of city pupils new digs to learn in this academic year.
The conversions have transformed three outdated, rundown school houses — some of which date back to the 1920s — into state-of-the art, 21st century learning centers that city officials hope will inject pride into the community and provide students better learning environments.
“Hartford public schools know that in order for our students to perform at the level we are expecting they need to be in buildings conducive to their learning,” said Don Slater, Hartford Public School’s chief operating officer. “We have built 21st century schools that were able to capture the history of what used to be there.”
Slater said the city typically doesn’t do multiple major school renovation projects at once, but with the funding available and the buildings in need of major upgrades, the time was right to move forward. Construction on all three buildings began two years ago.
Among the projects was a $54.4 million limited demolition and renovation of the M.D. Fox School, which was constructed in 1927 as the original Bulkeley High School. The 141,000 square foot building has gotten a complete makeover and was partially downsized.
Many original features, however, including the 600-seat auditorium and historic architectural details, have been retained on the building while being upgraded for full code compliance, energy conservation and educational technology, said Jack Butkus head of ARCADIS/O&G, the program management firm that oversaw the renovations of all three schools.
Meanwhile, the former Thomas J. Quirk Middle School got a $55 million facelift. The school was divided into two facilities: the eastern building was renovated as the Global Studies Academy, while the western building was returned to the city, Butkus said.
A multi-sport artificial turf field will also be built between the facility and Albany Avenue in collaboration with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.
The 133,000 square foot school serves about 900 K-12 students.
Finally, the former Clarence A. Barbour School, which housed an elementary program, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art interdistrict magnet high school focusing on journalism and media, Butkus said.
Originally constructed in 1930, the building received a $37.5 million renovation, while the 1950’s addition was demolished and replaced with a new state-of-the art digital media facility. It has the latest media technology that few broadcast companies have been able to get, Slater said.
Funding for all three renovations was largely provided by the state, which reimburses the city nearly 80 percent of all school construction projects. Hartford taxpayers footed the rest of the bill.
Besides providing students with fresh learning environments the projects gave a shot in the arm to the construction industry.
Butkus said the city implemented an aggressive minority-owned school building program to boost local participation in projects. It requires 20 percent of construction funding to go to minority and/or women owned businesses. Contractors are also required to subcontract 15 percent of their work to minority and/or women owned businesses.
Additionally, 30 percent of the labor must be provided by Hartford residents.
Butkus said they were able to meet all those benchmarks.
“It’s a very robust contracting goal,” he said.
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