School board moves forward
on Lylburn Downing renovations
Renovations that will increase space at Lylburn Downing Middle School by one third should begin in spring 2009.
That was the word as Principal Rich Dowd and Lexington School Board members decided on preliminary plans for the renovations at the board’s Monday night meeting.
The renovations would cost about $7.1 million, Dowd said. The city has already applied for a $7.5 million literary loan, the loan available from the state for school construction. The city asked for more than the estimated cost to accommodate unanticipated expenses.
Dowd said the renovations will add band and art rooms, remodeled gym and locker room facilities and more office space. There will also be a centralized portion of the building available for community use. That area will include a cafeteria, an expanded stage and access to the gym area. The size of the school will increase by about one third, from 35,000 to 47,262 square feet.
The building’s front will face Richardson Park instead of Diamond Street. A traffic loop and additional parking area are also in the works to reduce traffic congestion that plagues parents and neighbors on Diamond Street during the morning and afternoon drop off and pickup times.
Dowd said his faculty first met in December to discuss plans, and an advisory committee has met weekly since mid- January.
The school board hopes to make the renovated building more environmentally friendly. One goal is to make it geothermal, and t esting has begun to see what building modifications must be made.
The school has also begun the process of obtaining LEED Certification for Green Schools. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The program exists to encourage environmentally friendly buildings. In order to achieve that certification a school must obtain 29 of 79 available points. School officials hope to achieve silver status, with 37 points.
The project is expected to take about 16 months -- two summers and one school year. Dowd said that during construction, students will be housed in the community center next to the school. Plans are also in the works to renovate that building. Dowd said he hoped that project would be completed before the middle school renovations begin so that much- needed classroom space will be available.
Image courtesy of OWPR Architects and Engineers
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug
Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd