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Manheim Township board hears feasibility study for Nichara Elementary and is set to vote on design direction
Summary
Architects presented three options for Nichara Elementary — renovate in place, additions/renovation, or new construction — and recommended a new-build option after scoring highest on the district priority matrix; the board will vote in two weeks whether to start formal design work.
Architects from RLPS presented three updated options for Nichara Elementary on the district’s feasibility study and recommended moving into design on a new-build option that scored highest in the district’s priority matrix.
At the start of the presentation, RLPS said comments from a January 14 town hall and a steering committee led to revisions in two of the study options. The firm summarized three approaches: (1) update the existing building in its current footprint, renovating about 10% of the structure; (2) an additions-and-renovations approach (Option B) with a new two-story classroom wing built first to minimize student disruption while preserving some existing core spaces and the auditorium; and (3) a new construction option built outside the current footprint to maximize flexibility and future expansion.
RLPS described the trade-offs of each scheme. Option A, a one-story renovation that separates bus and car drop-offs and keeps the auditorium in place, was dismissed by the consultants for construction complexity. Option B was revised to place a new two-story classroom wing first so students could move into new academic spaces while renovations proceeded; presenters said that scheme preserves the auditorium and adjacent facilities. The new-build option was described as the most flexible and future-ready, and it would allow separations of parent and bus loops and more straightforward phasing to limit student disruption.
The consultants presented a priority matrix used by the steering committee and district staff to score how well each option met facility, educational and enrollment priorities. The matrix scores reported were: status quo 12 points; Option A 26 points; Option B 34 points; and the new option 50 points. Cost ranges provided were: status quo $27.3 million–$31.3 million; Option A $51.8 million–$58.4 million; Option B $53.6 million–$60.3 million; and the new option $57.3 million–$63.6 million.
Chris Linke of RLPS summarized the recommendation: “We think they holistically, you know, address the majority of the concerns… The new option satisfies those concerns a little bit better.” The architects emphasized that these are feasibility-level concepts and that moving to phase 2 would begin an 18-month design and documentation process, not a construction bid.
Board members asked detailed questions about auditorium capacity, the possibility of a gym/auditorium hybrid (or “gymitorium”), circulation and secure entries, and the potential to add solar readiness. Presenters said folding partitions and flexible scheduling can allow gym spaces to serve multiple purposes, and that solar-readiness can be studied and potentially accommodated in new construction.
RLPS said the new option would add approximately 125 seats of capacity above current enrollment and noted the design could support bringing a Spanish immersion program back to the building, which would free space elsewhere. The firm also cautioned that traffic and driveway improvements at the Oregon Pike connection could drive permitting schedules and affect the overall timeline.
No decision was taken at the meeting. The board president reiterated that the next vote to choose a pathway for design priority will occur at the district’s voting meeting in two weeks; in the meantime, the administration will present a phase 2 contract for design work.
