A renovation project may be on the horizon at the Montauk School, where the board of education on Tuesday heard an extensive presentation by Kevin Walsh of BBS Architects to formally kick off the exploration process.
Mr. Walsh was very clear that this was a preliminary discussion meant to present options to the school. “We’d like to have a broad view of where we could go, so that we can see everything laid out and make some decisions,” Mr. Walsh said, later emphasizing that “it’s not a proposal, it is a reference for future decision-making.”
The work, outlined in what he called a “master planning draft,” ranges from infrastructure needs such as interior door replacements, ventilation work in some classrooms, and the repair of six rooftop exhaust fans to much bigger projects, like building a new gym, completely removing the aging modular classrooms, and expanding the library.
The bottom line of Mr. Walsh’s presentation was that enriching the student experience is the most important priority. “We want to create places that people want to be and want to come back to,” he said.
He highlighted ways in which architectural design could intersect with and enhance the learning and teaching experience.
“How could you combine the traditional library and traditional cafeteria to come up with something new?” Mr. Walsh asked, focusing on the idea of creating a “student learning exchange.”
Essentially, he said, it could be a place where students gather to learn, share, read, scroll, rest, or even perform — a multipurpose area within the school that is not only an official classroom or student gathering area, but a bit of both.
When it comes to planning and paying for these changes, that’ll depend on the school board. Two hypothetical plans laid out by Mr. Walsh came with price tags of $17.4 million and $28 million. However, there are multiple variables involved that can greatly affect which projects factor into those totals, such as “student displacement” during construction.
Many of these ideas stemmed from an examination of the Montauk School’s “building condition survey,” which New York State requires every five years, and is especially a list of necessary infrastructure work. A major part of the survey is ordering infrastructure plans by priority, with tier 1 being most necessary, and tier 5 being “dream projects.” The board can focus on just the necessities or develop a bigger project, depending on resources and needs.
The school board has been discussing renovations for several years now; in April 2020, school officials said they had at least $1.28 million set aside for work so far.