Riverside Local staff present plans, timetable and budget framework for Buckeye Elementary addition

At a Buildings & Grounds meeting, Riverside Local staff and the project presenter reviewed detailed drawings and material samples for an addition to Buckeye Elementary, describing an eight‑classroom single‑story addition with two small group rooms, a gym with stage, a lobby/meeting room and associated mechanical and site work.

The presentation outlined how the addition would connect to the existing school, the material palette (a darker brick to match existing lower walls and lighter masonry above), interior finishes (rubber flooring in the lobby, LVT in classrooms, carpet inserts), and building systems: a chiller that will be installed to serve the project and an initial boiler for the new section with a second boiler to be added when the remainder of the building is renovated.

Why it matters: the project will expand classroom capacity and update mechanical systems for Buckeye Elementary while the district weighs tradeoffs between phasing, cost and disruption to school operations. District staff said they aim to have a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) from the contractor by early October and intend to stage work so the addition can be in use for the next school year.

Scope and design The presented plans call for eight new classrooms plus two small group rooms (for intervention specialists), a gym sized comparable to the district’s Riverview gym, a stage with ramp access and a meeting/green room adjacent to the stage. The lobby is sized and detailed to be lockable from the rest of the building so evening community events can be accommodated without opening classroom wings.

On finishes, the presenter said the team is proposing rubber tile in the lobby that can be…