Board hears detailed plans and cost estimate for Riverside School renovation; vote deferred

Architects and district staff presented a renovation-and-addition plan for Riverside School and a preliminary cost estimate of $45,500,000, then answered questions from board members and members of the Riverside community. The presentation and nearly two hours of public comment centered on classroom sizes, a proposed 14,000-square-foot rear addition, accessibility and life-safety upgrades, a new cafeteria and kitchen layout, a multipurpose room and a sensory room, and a proposal to add two pre-K classrooms.

The feasibility committee, architects and the principal said the project responds to longstanding problems of overcrowding and deferred maintenance. "This is a 90‑year‑old building and it's not clear a school‑wide renovation has ever been done," said Carrie Bisbee, a Riverside parent and PTAC facilities committee member, urging the board to approve ed specs in time for the Board of Estimate and Taxation's (BET) April 1 deliberations. Principal Jason Martin said the design team consulted widely: "They have taken the time to listen to every voice in our school, teachers, staff, administrators, and parents," he said.

Why…