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Architects present three options for Hall Memorial — renovate‑as‑new, new build or patch‑as‑you‑go
Summary
Tecton Architects outlined three project paths for Willington’s Hall Memorial site — break‑fix, phased renovate‑as‑new and new construction — detailing site constraints (setbacks, septic fields), estimated sizes (~94,000 sq ft for new), timelines (renovate 40–48 months; new ~24 months), and geothermal as an option.
Tecton Architects presented conceptual plans and three broad strategies for Willington’s school project at the April 27 meeting: continue ad‑hoc repairs (break‑fix), renovate‑as‑new (phased occupied renovation), or build a new school on the existing or alternative site.
Jeff Kozinski, principal at Tecton Architects, showed site plans, existing sanitary/leach fields and setbacks that significantly constrain placement and parking. He said a proposed single‑building new construction concept is roughly 94,000 square feet and that renovate‑as‑new would likely require a 30–40,000 square‑foot addition plus extensive phased work. “Renovate‑as‑new consolidates to one school, upgrades the infrastructure, improves the educational space and leverages the existing building and the historical connection,” Kozinski said, while cautioning that phased work can add hidden costs and schedule risk.
The architects explained tradeoffs: new construction is shorter (Tecton estimated roughly 24 months to build the new structure, then additional time to raise the old building and restore the site), while a phased renovation could run 40–48 months on a tight site and requires careful swing‑space planning to keep school operations functioning. The team also discussed geothermal as a sustainability option that could require 80–90 closed‑head wells; bid history cited by the team put a system cost per well in recent projects in the tens of thousands of dollars range.
Members raised practical concerns about winter construction, fire‑department access to lower‑level egress points, parking, and the loss of green space for athletics. Committee members emphasized the need for rough order‑of‑magnitude cost comparisons between the renovate and new options before presenting any single project to the public. "A lot of people are in favor of renovating Hall School, but if the cost is prohibitive, the state won't allow us to get our funding if the cost is more than building new," one committee member said.
Tecton said it will develop initial budget estimates and phasing options for the committee to review; the design team and Colliers will also provide a timeline aligning design milestones with the committee’s revised referendum schedule once the committee confirms direction.
The committee asked that communications materials explain these options clearly to the public, including expected tax impacts and the specific components the state will reimburse under Regulation 10:287‑C30 (building elements A–F).
