Board hears campus master plan, elementary school schedule and city athletic‑campus concept

Architects from Shore Architects and construction representatives presented a campus master plan update to the New Albany‑Plain Local Board on Feb. 9, outlining design features of a new elementary school, a construction schedule, and a conceptual athletic campus the city is proposing on adjacent property.

Nathan Gammela of Shore Architects walked the board through exterior and interior renderings: a secure vestibule and reception, wayfinding through color‑coded wings, a daylight‑filled media center, a cafetorium and multipurpose gym with bleachers. He said planning commission and Architectural Review Board approvals are conditionally in place, subject to staff approvals. "We have gotten conditional approval from planning commission and the architectural review board with the only conditions of those approvals being subject to staff approval," Gammela said.

Construction staff said the project has a site permit allowing site work to begin; foundations are planned to start in March and the elementary school construction is estimated at roughly a 20‑month build. Project logistics include site fencing, tree clearing, salvaging and reusing existing press box and scoreboards, and rerouting a pathway near the high school. The team announced a groundbreaking ceremony for Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.; in case of inclement weather the event will be held at the Wexner Pavilion.

The district also reviewed a city‑led conceptual plan for an "athletic campus" on nearby property. City renderings (produced by MKSK) show a pedestrian promenade, two baseball fields, two softball fields, batting facility, a two‑story press box with concessions and restrooms, multipurpose fields, a perimeter loop path of roughly 1.05 miles, and various city amenities (sledding hill/outdoor amphitheater, picnic areas, bocce courts). District staff said the district’s priority is to deliver baseball and softball (Phase 1 on the left side of the site) to replace fields displaced by the new elementary school, and that the district is waiting to review a draft lease from the city before making final commitments.

The presentation stressed that the city work is conceptual and not final; the district will continue phased planning, seek a lease agreement that clarifies control and maintenance, and return to the board for approvals of subsequent GMPs and construction contracts.

The board asked questions about bids, pricing trends and parking; construction staff said bidding activity has been favorable and pricing has leveled, and that parking and shared use agreements are being discussed with the city and nearby property owners.