OK likely on designs for Champaign elementary school renovations

CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign school board is expected to approve the schematic designs for renovations to four elementary schools.

The schools are Westview, Bottenfield, Robeson and Kenwood elementaries. The board will take final action on approving the designs at its meeting at 7 p.m. today (Monday, Dec. 12).

The renovations will be completed more quickly than originally thought, said Arlene Vespa, the district's capital projects supervisor.

"The original timeline provided for one school per year," Vespa said. "We are now looking at doing Westview, then Bottenfield and Robeson together, followed by Kenwood. That would mean we would finish in three years instead of four."

Westview's teachers, staff and students will move to the building vacated by Carrie Busey Elementary next year, after that facility moves to Savoy.

The next year, Bottenfield will move to the old Carrie Busey, but district spokeswoman Lynn Peisker said Robeson's renovation will be able to happen without moving the students for the school year.

Architect Stuart Brodsky of OWP/P Canon Design told the board at its meeting two weeks ago about the design specifics of the renovations.

Westview's addition will be two stories, with a gym on the first floor and three classrooms on the second floor.

The windows and bricks will be selected in order to help the addition blend in, Brodsky told the board, and it will be about the same height as the existing building.

The entire existing building will be updated and renovated as well, he said.

The Bottenfield renovation will be a little more complex, Brodsky said, as additions will be made to improve access to the building and for parent and bus drop-offs.

Buses will drop students off on Prospect Avenue, but the new addition to the west will allow parents to drop students off on Lynwood Drive, the street west of Prospect.

That west addition will include a cafeteria commons and gym, which will have a partition that can combine them, as well as a kitchen.

South of the building, an academic wing will provide classroom space and room for special instruction, such as literacy help.

At Kenwood, an addition to the south will be near the existing circle drive. It will include a new gym, three kindergarten classrooms, bathrooms and storage space.

It will link into the existing building, which will also be renovated. A new tech area will look into one of Kenwood's courtyards. Brodsky said the design intends to take advantage of those "unique features."

Robeson will not get any bigger but will be reorganized and renovated.

Vespa said that means that grade levels will be grouped together, with kindergartners and first-graders in the west wing, second- and third-graders in the east wing and fourth and fifth grades together as well.

"Special-use groups will have appropriate areas and separation from incompatible uses, like literacy and (special education) areas, for example," Vespa said.

Traffic will also be reworked for buses on the east side of the building.

Brodsky said after the board approves the schematics this spring, it can start bidding for summer 2012 construction on Westview.