Crosby ISD land committee recommends $4M Red Barn overhaul and up to $8M renovation of old administration building after restroom review

The Crosby Independent School District Land and Facilities Committee on Monday recommended an extensive renovation of the Red Barn athletic field house and the conversion of the high‑school agricultural facility to locker, weight and training rooms, and it asked the board to approve renovating the district’s old administration building for up to $8 million. The committee also presented an evaluation of Crosby Middle School restrooms and recommended a set of maintenance and remedial actions, including weekly enzymatic floor cleaning to address persistent urine odors.

Committee members said the Red Barn—built in 1972 with no major renovations—has structural and operational issues, including roofing, plumbing and drainage problems, and that renovating it and converting the Bridal (high‑school) ag facility for athletic use would remove safety and circulation problems that require students to cross a parking lot to reach training space. The committee recommended a renovation “not to exceed the amount of $4,000,000” for the Red Barn and conversion work to create locker, weight and training rooms.

On the old administration building, the committee reported the property is “dilapidated” and an eyesore but concluded the district should renovate rather than demolish. The committee recommended proceeding with a renovation not to exceed $8,000,000 to consolidate about 50 administrative positions into a single facility, free up campus space for instructional uses, and house maintenance and transportation functions. During board discussion a motion was made for the superintendent to negotiate and execute a contract not to exceed $8,000,000.

The committee’s Crosby Middle School restroom review described recurring strong urine odors in boys’ restrooms. Presenters said the tile configuration (many small tiles and a large amount of grout) and porous grout that retains urine, together with floor drains whose P‑traps are not regularly flushed, contribute to lingering odors. Recommendations included replacing wall‑mounted vanity sinks with floor‑supported trough sinks in affected restrooms, regular enzymatic cleaning each Friday, keeping replacement toilet seats in inventory, and flushing floor drains more frequently. The committee emphasized that many listed fixes can be carried out by district maintenance and custodial staff; plumbing or flooring replacements would require outside contractors.

Board members discussed cost, deferred maintenance and the tradeoffs of using bond funds versus district reserves. The board voted on a motion to authorize the superintendent to proceed with renovation contracting up to the $8,000,000 limit as presented by the committee.