The school will replace the existing Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School.
The old Chicopee High School which is to be converted to a middle school. CHICOPEE – The City Council has unanimously approved borrowing $37.9 million to renovate the former Chicopee High School and convert it to a middle school, giving the last project approval before construction can begin.
The project received final approvals in April from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which has agreed to reimburse the city 80 percent of the renovation costs up to $30.1 million.
The next step will now be for architects Caolo & Bieniek Associates, Inc. to draw up final blueprints. The project is expected to go out to bid in December with the hopes students can move in September 2015, said Councilor William M. Zaskey, who is also the chairman of the school’s renovation committee.
The project calls for major structural upgrades in things such as the electrical system and heating and ventilation. New windows will be added, science laboratories and rest rooms will be upgraded, the building will be completely accessible to the disabled, and air conditioning will be installed, he said.
While the inside of the building will look new when completed, the only major structural change will be the cafeteria will be moved and enlarged to handle about 800 middle school students. The exterior will be the same, Zaskey said.
Once the building is completed, the plan is to move students from Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School across the Chicopee River to the renovated school. That school, which is inadequate for middle school students, will then be used for an elementary and early childhood school.
Selser School is then to be used as a permanent home for Chicopee Academy, which is now using the former high school. Officials have not decided how to reuse Szetela School, where the early childhood center now is located, but it has been considered for an administration building.
Before the vote School Committee member Adam D. Lamontagne who serves as the liaison to the City Council, urged members to approve the funding. For years many people have argued there should be a middle school on either side of the Chicopee River instead of about a mile from each other across the city.
Council members had no complaints about the project.
“It will be better to have the kids on both sides of the river,” Councilor Frank N. Laflamme said. He added there should be an about $200,000 annual savings in busing because students will not have to go so far.
Councilor John L. Vieau said he was always concerned the historic and beautiful school would some day be reused as condominiums or something else and is happy with the reuse plan.
“For $7 million we will get a building that is brand new and we are keeping the facade which people in Chicopee are proud of,” Councilor James K. Tillotson said.