Council receives Gutierrez School; architect’s assessment finds building in good condition and suitable for town-hall use

The Bristol Town Council on Sept. 10 formally received the Gutierrez School building at 35 Washington Street after the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee relinquished the property. The council heard a presentation and high-level building assessment from Brewster Thornton Group, the town’s on-call architect, which found no structural red flags and described the building as "in excellent condition" for a 100-year-old school.

Christine Shea, Brewster Thornton Group community sector leader, told the council the building’s major systems — roof, windows and other "big-ticket" items — are in good shape and that the interior can be adapted for municipal functions with limited intervention. She said the project team had sized offices, conference rooms and public spaces and that the gym could remain as a recreational resource or serve as overflow meeting or theater space for town events.

Council members and staff asked about known concerns: Shea said the team found typical, non-urgent masonry cracking consistent with an older steel-frame/masonry building, which they characterized as a 15- to 20-year maintenance matter rather than an immediate structural hazard. The building is in the mapped floodplain, and town staff said an elevation certificate exists; presenters and staff said they were not aware of historical flooding of the building interior.

Several councilors said the building’s location and prominence make it a good candidate for municipal use, including town-hall functions, and noted parking and field issues remain to be addressed over subsequent meetings. The council voted to receive and file the presentation and set follow-up discussion for a future meeting; the building is scheduled to come back under town control Oct. 1. Motion: receive and file the Gutierrez School return and architect assessment; motion made by Tony, seconded by Tim; vote: all in favor.

Next steps: staff will provide further information to the council, including fuller condition assessment documents and follow-up items such as the field/parking status and options for departmental space and funding. No sale or disposition decisions were made at the meeting.