BY MATT HERSH
A proposed plan to build a new athletics facility at Salem High School has been cut back, reducing the size and cost of the project.
At a recent meeting, the school district’s Facilities Committee decided to reduce the size of the facility from 75,000 square feet to 64,000 square feet.
The facility is part of a massive high school renovation project that will cost about $40 million. Voters will be presented with a $2.4 million bond article in March that, if passed, will cover the cost of drafting blueprints and securing the services of Frank P. Marinace Architecture.
Though cost estimates were not thoroughly discussed at the meeting, committee members said the larger facility would have cost about $1 million more.
The committee decided after several hours of debate that the smaller building might stand a better chance of winning voter approval.
The group consented to the cutback, but some said the smaller facility might not cover the needs of the district’s athletic programs and community events.
Still, Superintendent Michael Delahanty said the new building will provide adequate space for all who want to use it.
Throughout the planning stage for the new facility, Delahanty has stressed the importance of community use and accessibility.
“We’re not building this facility so we have less availability for programs,” he said. “In fact, we expect we’ll be able to accommodate more programs.”
The 64,000-square-foot building will feature three regulation-sized basketball courts, an indoor running track, a mini-gym downstairs with a padded floor for gymnastics, a weight room, locker rooms and a training room.
Early plans for the facility call for a catwalk connecting it to the main high school building.
Though 64,000 square feet might sound like a lot of space, and some residents have been critical of the district’s high-cost project, Delahanty said figures can be deceiving.
“We’re gaining space, but it’s not as much as people believe it is,” he said. “People think a 64,000-square-foot facility is grand and that we’re building a palace, but the floor space for athletics is really close to what we have now.”
Delahanty said he’s pleased with how the project is coming along, but there’s still the daunting task of selling the idea to voters.
“I think we still have a long road ahead of us in terms of convincing citizens that this is a good plan and a good idea,” he said. “But this building will allow us to meet all of the need we have with athletics, academics, security, and wear and tear.”
By designating all athletics to the new building, there will be more room for classrooms and an overhaul of the main building can be completed.
Under the new design, the school’s main entrance and administrative offices would switch places with the current library, which faces Geremonty Drive. Science rooms and the auditorium will also be expanded.
The committee is set to meet again on Sept. 10 to discuss more details of the plan and how to convince voters.
If the district’s bond article of approximately $39 million is approved by voters, taxpayers could expect to see bills rise by 65 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. A home valued at $300,000 would see a $200 jump in their bill per year.
If passed, construction could begin as early as 2009 and be completed by the fall of 2011.
Committee member Roland Maher said he’s optimistic about the project, but he realizes that bond articles are hard to pass in Salem.
“We’ll need 60 percent of the community support and unfortunately not much has passed in Salem in the past few years,” he said. “It’s going to be a major hurdle for us.”