Board hears detailed timeline for CTE renovation, locker‑room addition and bond program at Ossining High School

Ossining, N.Y. — District staff and the lead architect on July 30 presented a phased schedule for the high‑school bond program that centers on a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building, a two‑story addition above renovated locker rooms and a renovation of the former church building into CTE space. The presentation matters because the projects will move most high‑school programs into new or renovated spaces over several years and depend on state and federal approvals before contractors can begin demolition and site work. Lead architect Dave told the board, “The first 4 projects you see here are the capital projects that are underway or in process.” Project leaders described Phase 0A and 0B as preparatory demolition: 0A for the rectory and 0B for an annex adjacent to the church. As Mary Fox Filter summarized the regulatory status, Phase 0A “is awaiting final approval of the State Historic Preservation Office and the State Education Department.” District staff and the design team gave a detailed multi‑phase schedule during the update. They said construction work for the combined locker‑room and two‑story addition (Phase 1) is slated for November 2026 to June 2028, with the district’s plan to return locker rooms to use by June 2027. The music wing (Phase 2) was scheduled to follow, with work described as June 2028 to December 2029. Renovation of the church into CTE space was listed as October 2028 to July 2030; the seven‑eight building and the Claremont project were also placed across 2027–2030 windows. Project staff cautioned that some elements remain contingent on regulatory reviews. The team said review windows and ecological constraints had delayed certain site approvals: Jared said the AMD driveway and cooling project was “up with review with various state agencies” and that the project was at the “end point of a comment period by the EPA.” Mary and the contractors said Army Corps of Engineers and EPA timing had slowed permitting for portions of the site work and that the State Education Department (SED) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) were reviewing demolition language and legal counsel comments. Design details for the CTE building were shown to the board, including planned materials intended to reference the existing church without replicating it exactly; Dave said the team is “picking out materials that are going to mimic but not closely replicate the church.” The architects discussed preserving interior woodwork and custom details where feasible and noted use of modern, energy‑efficient glazing and daylighting strategies. On staging and student use during construction, the team described a swing‑space plan: the two‑story addition above the locker rooms will be used as temporary swing space for music and related programs once its shell is safe to occupy, and the district intends to create temporary locker‑room facilities while the existing locker rooms are rebuilt. Dave explained that the design aims to “separate the CTE renovation work away from the student occupied areas.” Board members asked when community members might see visible construction on the AMD driveway and other site work; staff answered that, assuming permits and approvals, contractors could begin site tree work and staging as early as November. The presenters said Phase 0A demolition should take about four days once permits are in hand and that bids will be posted as soon as regulatory approvals arrive. The board did not take a formal vote on any of the bond phases during the presentation; staff said the schedule and budgets continue to be refined in design development and that the district is running cost estimates at each design milestone to keep the program within budget and maximize state aid.