RUSD reviews Walden 3 renovation plans; staff recommends Fendorf Construction as construction manager at risk

Racine Unified School District (RUSD) officials reviewed design plans and accessibility upgrades for Walden 3 during the board work session on March 3, and district staff recommended selecting Fendorf Construction as the construction manager at risk for the project, with board action scheduled for the March 17 business meeting.

Eric Meigren, an architect with Partners in Design Architects, said the project focuses on overcoming accessibility shortcomings in the building originally constructed in 1921 and expanded in 1955 and 1976. He said the work will correct failures in the stone and brick façade, add a secure vestibule with an Evolv screening system, relocate the main office to a central, accessible location and add an elevator that will provide access to all three floors. "We will be putting in a lift in the eastern portion of the building to access the two floors over there," Meigren said.

Meigren described a phased approach on the floor plans: light renovations (new lighting and finishes), heavier renovations (reconfigurations to meet district standards), and major renovations (full restroom gutting to achieve ADA-compliant fixtures and water-saving plumbing). He also noted exterior work including restriping parking lots, replacing deteriorated sidewalks, targeted track repairs and a concrete slab for a planned future greenhouse.

During board Q&A, members raised common operational questions: whether the project includes air conditioning (Meigren: "Yes. Yes. They do."), visitor parking and how student parking and event parking will be handled. Board members also asked about converting locker-room space and repurposing the second-floor locker room into a fitness center and new physical activity offices.

District staff said the highest-scored vendor for construction manager at risk services is Fendorf Construction and that the board will be asked to approve that recommendation at the March 17 business meeting. No formal vote was taken at the March 3 work session.

Meigren and staff emphasized the project goal of bringing accessibility and safety improvements to a building that pre-dates the Americans with Disabilities Act while preserving and repairing historic exterior materials. The project team said mechanical upgrades, including a new air-handling unit and new electrical equipment enclosures, are part of the scope.

Next steps: the district will present the Fendorf Construction recommendation for board approval on March 17 and continue detailed design work and coordination with school staff. If approved, staff said construction manager at risk services will move toward contract and pricing phases.