The St. Charles Parish School board has released a master plan for the final two phases of an estimated $44 million revamping of the school’s athletic facilities. The plan shows in detail where $42.5 million earmarked for the phases two and three will be spent.
Phase one of the multi-million dollar project is nearing completion, according to architect Ken Zito. The board recently approved a bid for $311,000 from Landscape Structure Inc. to build 14 fitness stations at the district’s elementary schools and kindergartens.
Zito said 10 of the stations were meant for the older kids and four were specifically intended for the kindergartens and pre-kindergartens.
Phase two for the elementary schools includes a $31,575 fencing overhaul while phase three of the project calls for covered play areas at Allemands, Luling, Mimosa Park, R.J. Vial, Ethel Schoeffner, New Sarpy and Norco Elementary schools.
The covered play areas will cost approximately $426,000 each, including surfacing costs, and will include a full size basketball court, 835 square feet of activity room, toilet facilities, and 450 square feet of storage.
The schools not receiving covered play areas, A.A. Songy kindergarten, New Sarpy Kindergarten and Lakewood and St. Rose Elementary schools will each get $26,000 of resilient surfacing including new swings, slides and climbing bars.
The total for phase three of the elementary school project comes to an estimated $3,086,000.
Phases two and three for the middle school athletic upgrades total $12,280,000, much of which will be incurred for new gymnasiums or additions to existing ones. J.B. Martin and Harry Hurst will both get new gymnasiums at $4 million each while the existing gymnasiums will be converted for $500,000 a piece into multi-purpose facilities that can also double as athletic storage areas.
Albert Cammon Middle will add 7,000 square feet to the existing gym to include a multipurpose room, locker room, and additional storage. The cost is estimated at $1.4 million.
R.K. Smith will receive $600,000 worth of upgrades to their gym for a multi-purpose room and additional storage.
Phases two and three for the district’s high schools call for approximately $28 million worth of upgrades, the bulk also coming from gymnasium construction and renovations.
Both Hahnville and Destrehan High will get $22 million worth of improvements in the form of new gymnasiums and renovations to the existing structures. The gymnasiums will cost approximately $8 million each, with renovations to their old gyms adding another $6 million to the tab, about $3 million each.
Both schools will receive new additions to the football, baseball, and softball courts including lights for the baseball and softball fields to allow for night games and a new synthetic turf for the football fields that can be used everyday for football, boys and girls soccer and band.
While renovations to existing gymnasiums eat up a substantial portion of the budget, Zito says it’s a good idea.
“It’s in our best interest to renovate these gyms,” Zito said. “They could be used as secondary gyms. We would hate to just eliminate them.”
Comments? Call reporter Caleb Frey: 985-758-9759.
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