Okemos trustees hear Cornell Elementary design update; district to fund energy upgrades from 2022 bond rather than a new guaranteed-savings bond

District staff presented schematic designs and site plans for the new Cornell Elementary project and an update on energy-savings work the district plans to integrate with existing 2022 bond projects. The presentation covered building massing, circulation, playground locations, wetlands and stormwater detention, a multi-lane car drop-off configuration, two-story classroom wings, learning commons on both floors and plans for two playgrounds and a field with a walking loop.

The Cornell design effort is in schematic design with staff expecting to return to the board with more developed plans in August and with bids during the winter-bid season next year. Staff said the project is being planned within a target neighborhood budget (discussed at roughly a $40 million level in bond planning) and is being designed with district standards for hardware and equipment to aid future maintenance. The new school would be configured for kindergarten through fourth grade with a minimum four-section…