Scarsdale Schools Bond Planning – Greenacres School

SCARSDALE SCHOOLS BOND: PRE-REFERENDUM PLANNING PROCESS

In early 2017, BBS was hired by the Scarsdale UFSD to create and implement the district’s Facility Master Plan and deliver any future bond work. In the selection of BBS culminated a lengthy search process for the district’s next Architect-of-Record with RFP’s sent to nearly (50) Architectural firms in the Greater New York metropolitan region. BBS was selected as the best fit for the district.

In February 2017, the Scarsdale Administrators officially tasked us with the planning, design, and construction phases for all upcoming capital improvement projects in the district, including a major renovation/ reimagination of the Greenacres Elementary School. Having replaced the district’s former Architect-of-Record, we were charged with bringing an updated, objective recommendation for needed work at all district schools.

In doing so, we needed to revisit and review all work delivered by the previous Architect and its consultants, including the review and/or updating of the Building Conditions Survey (BCS) & Greenacres Feasibility Committee reports, the Engineering reports & Building Committee priorities; and the Roof Master Plan & Fields Master Plan. Two separate BBS teams, Engineering and Architectural, then surveyed all district facilities, field-verified existing conditions and re-measured where needed, and analyzed each school building in depth.

Based on the collected data, BBS prepared a Building Condition Survey (BCS) Master List, which was combined with the original BCS done by previous Architect. All building schedules and operations were studied and building tours and interviews with key personnel were conducted to gather a clear understanding of how each school building functions in delivering instruction.

At the first of several formal presentations that we made to the Scarsdale Board of Education, we outlined all facility needs and presented some of our initial design solutions to address these major issues. Finally, we formally recommended that renovation and expansion to Greenacres School is preferred over new construction. The following presentation introduced updated Building Master Plans based on feedback from the BOE, building committees, and community. We also suggested that the work at the Middle and High Schools be deferred for future study and further development.

Ultimately, in Summer 2017, the Scarsdale Board of Education agreed to our and Administration’s recommendation to move forward with further bond planning and scope development of the following items:

  • The addition or upgrading of security vestibules at all elementary buildings and the Middle School;
  • District-wide facilities & infrastructure needs focusing on roofs, building systems, electrical upgrades, code compliance and health & safety issues; and
  • The renovation and expansion of Greenacres Elementary School.
  • In addition, to provide a final scope of a bond project at or near tax neutral (+/- $5 million).

In support of the bond referendum campaign and community outreach, we have also developed numerous visual materials, 3D renderings, and “fly-through” video animations for the Greenacres School portion of the proposed work, so that the neighborhood residents might “experience” the expanded school building prior to casting their vote.

The $64.9 million school improvement project was decisively approved by Scarsdale residents on February 14, 2018.

Project Facts