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Racine Unified reviews design plans for Gilmore Fine Arts K–8 with auditorium, science and site upgrades
Summary
District staff and Bloom Companies presented design-development plans to renovate Gilmore Fine Arts K–8, including an expanded auditorium (about 500 seats), repurposed locker rooms, a new dance studio and three renovated science rooms; classroom windows remain an add-alternate estimated at over $850,000.
Trustees of the Racine Unified School District heard a design-development update for Gilmore Fine Arts K–8 on the work-session agenda. Peter (staff member) introduced Frank Gartner of Bloom Companies LLC, who walked the board through the project’s educational and building-site components.
Gartner said the renovation focuses on three educational program areas: an upgraded auditorium, reconfigured locker rooms and support spaces, and three renovated second-floor science rooms with new furniture and improved connectivity. On the building and site side, the project would add a generator on the southeast portion of the property, rework sidewalks, add ADA parking and address life-safety concerns at the loading dock.
On the auditorium, Gartner said the design removes the room divider to increase seating and adds a permanent stage extension and a new stage-left stair. He said the district plans to replace all auditorium seating and upgrade lighting and controls; the seating capacity will be "upwards of 500" after renovation. A trustee asked whether seating would remain the current plastic style; Gartner said a vendor will be selected at a future design meeting and that the district seeks durable, cleanable and comfortable seats.
Gartner described demo and reconfiguration of existing locker rooms—currently used mainly for storage—into a smaller-footprint locker area, restroom, and a PE office, and said relocating the dance studio frees a space for a new fitness center adjacent to the gym. The new dance studio will have a spring floor intended for dance, exposed ceilings, sound panels and lighting to reduce reverberation.
Two of the three science rooms will be visually connected with interior windows and doors, Gartner said; that change reflected a request from science teachers to improve visibility and supervision when students work in adjacent rooms. The rooms will receive new cabinets, fixtures, tables, flooring, ceilings and lighting similar to the 2018 renovations.
Trustees pressed staff on an add-alternate to add windows to classrooms. Peter (staff member) said adding windows would require electrical work, painting and blinds and estimated the cost "a bit north of $850,000," and noted that amount is not in the current project budget and could be compared to other potential uses of the same funds.
Questions about acoustics and audiovisual systems drew assurances that perimeter acoustical panels and new acoustical ceiling tile are planned and that the soundboard and controls will be relocated from the mezzanine to the main auditorium level.
The construction-manager-at-risk recommendation for Gilmore—separate from the design update—was discussed later on the agenda (the board will consider an award to Shear Construction Company Inc. at the upcoming business meeting). The design update was informational, with staff noting the action item will appear on the next business meeting agenda.
The presentation included redacted floor-plan slides for safety reasons, according to staff. Trustees and staff concluded the informational update and planned the construction-manager award as a forthcoming business-meeting action.
