Coopertown Elementary design advances; district readies Act 34 booklet and spring bid schedule

Haverford Township School District staff and the project team presented updated design plans, cost estimates and a near-term schedule for the Coopertown Elementary School renovation and additions at the Jan. 23 board meeting.

Jeff Straub, lead architect for the Coopertown project, told the board the team finalized site design and is working through minimal site impacts while preserving features of the existing building. The plan keeps two rear additions, relocates the main office to the front with a secure entry and converts the underused auditorium into a media center. Straub said learning-support spaces are distributed through the building, and the design clusters grade-level pods to reduce circulation time for younger students.

The design team presented exterior renderings that deliberately respect existing local masonry and stonework identified by staff as characteristic of the Coopertown community; architects said that influenced materials, color palette and a more modest modern expression than recent new-build projects in the district. Board members asked whether community members had been consulted; Straub said building staff relayed community preferences to the design team and that interior graphics and a school identity will be developed with building leaders and students.

A third‑party cost estimate delivered Jan. 10 placed construction cost at roughly $23,000,000, a 2% delta from an October $22,500,000 figure and within the estimator’s margin of error. That estimate included a 5% estimating contingency (about $500,000). The team described two primary bid alternates: a new main entrance for the district office (an allowance near $400,000) and a solar array allowance for Coopertown (presented in discussion as roughly $400,000–$500,000), with administration planning to structure bids to allow for IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) tax-credit/ reimbursement eligibility (the team noted a roughly 30% federal incentive could be recoverable at bid/construction closeout).

Key schedule milestones presented: delivery of 50% construction documents (anticipated Jan. 30), final Act 34 booklet to be uploaded ahead of the Feb. 6 board meeting, Act 34 hearing scheduled for March 6 (allowing the statutorily required public-notice window), advertisement and out-to-bid March 11, bid receipt in April and the tentative start of construction in early June when school is out. The project team said combining the Coopertown work with other recent projects (Chatham Park) will help competitive pricing and bring current market knowledge to estimating.

Board discussion focused on design character and community identity. One board member asked why the Coopertown exterior appears less modern than other recent projects; the architect explained the decision to preserve local stone and brick and to introduce a subtle modern entry and interior graphics rather than a stronger modern palette, and said the approach was a product of conversations with staff and conveyed community preference. Board members also asked about building-level amenities such as additional restrooms by grade pod, clarifying which toilet rooms are existing and which are added.

Administration said the final Act 34 booklet and supporting financial pages (PFM financials) will be completed and uploaded about a week after the Jan. 10 estimate so the board can review ahead of the Feb. 6 meeting when the board will be asked to approve the booklet and schedule the formal Act 34 hearing. If adopted on the planned schedule, bids would be solicited in March with construction intended to begin in June.

Project clarifications and amounts are subject to final contractor bids and board approval of the Act 34 booklet and the final project budget. The district will return to the board for formal budget and bid-award actions once estimates and bids are in hand.