Springfield city leaders and the Donisco design team presented plans for a new Harena community school to replace the current 1974 facility, which suffers from structural issues and flooding. The project aims to provide a safe, innovative, and environmentally sound learning environment, with construction expected to be completed by fall 2030.
Residents got a closer look Tuesday night at plans for a new Harena community school.
22 News reporter Kaylee Thomas joins us live in studio to tell us what's next for the project.
Well, from tonight's second meeting, it looks like the proposed new school is seeing progress
and its potential layout and community concerns are being addressed.
I think the community concerns are traffic, how kids are going to be going to that school,
busing, walking. The bigger issue is safety.
Those concerns surrounding Springfield's plans to build a new German Harena community school
were addressed in a meeting Tuesday night.
City leaders say it's a step in the right direction after the current school, built in 1974,
had been dealing with ongoing structural issues, including flooding.
We want innovative schools, environmentally sound schools,
and schools that our children will feel safe in.
Kids are a priority here, also our teachers too, so we're happy for it.
The Donisco design team says they will be submitting a preferred solution
of having the new school on nearly four acres of land,
where the old Chestnut School site used to be in the north end by August,
to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is funding most of the project.
The most cost-effective solution that has the least disruption,
no disruption to the staff and students, and will give you an opportunity
to address all of the security and emergency responses and needs for the community.
The new school is expected to be four stories and will include improved bus
and dedicated van drop-offs, 172 staff visitor parking spaces,
20,000 square foot of play area, outdoor gardens, and plenty of community spaces
like a cafeteria, library, and a gym for the expansion of programs.
There are also plans to tackle traffic.
The solution that we have in place right now disperses the traffic out of the site
so that not everyone is going back down through the Chestnut-Carew intersection.
Over the next six months, the Donisco design team plans to refine floor plans,
discuss building design, and have further conversations about traffic.
Once the team receives mass school building authority approval
and a total funded project agreement with state,
design drawings will be made for contractors.
And then go out to bid for construction in 2028.
And when construction does take place, the design team informed 22 News
that students will stay in hurrying up.
The goal is to have construction completed by fall 2030.
Working for you, Kaylee Thomas, 22 News.
