Two structural additions were approved Monday night by the St. Charles Parish School Board’s Capital Improvement Committee, both jobs to be completed by Murray Architect.
Assistant Superintendent Larry Sesser brought the projects before the committee with the recommendation that they use Murray Architect for the jobs, partly to keep a warranty intact for a roof system the company designed for Mimosa Park Elementary, one of the schools scheduled to receive work.
A front office addition to Mimosa Park Elementary was one of the two projects Murray was hired for which will fall under the district’s Safe Schools Plan. The purpose of the addition is to make the entrance to the school more visible from the front office, Sesser said.
“The reason this firm will best meet this need is because this addition will require the continuity of the office expansion with a roof system that was designed by Murray Architect,” Sesser said. “In order to not void the warranty, it would be best to use their services.”
The committee was able to approve Murray for the work without getting bids from competing firms because the state does not require advertising for bids when using architectural design services.
The estimated budget for the project is $139,000. Sesser said because the budget exceeds $100,000, an architect would be required to complete the project.
The architectural firm was also chosen by the district’s Capital Improvements Committee to design a wall to link the St. Rose Primary school with St. Rose Elementary. The primary school was built in two parts in 1970 and 1973. The 1973 addition is currently in the process of being torn down, which made it evident to the board that something needed to be built in its place to link the existing structures.
St. Charles Schools’ Pupil Appraisal occupies the remainder of the primary school and the project would tie the new elementary school into the original primary structure.
“We want to do something appropriate to make it attractive,” Sesser said.
Sesser did not anticipate the project exceeding $40,000 and envisioned they would build a wall that would connect the remaining structures.
School Board Member John Smith felt it was necessary to explore their options when constructing the linking wall so as not to degrade the appearance of the new elementary.
He proposed that Murray Architect design a couple options so the board has something to choose from. Using brick to match the current structure should be an option, Smith said.
“The place looks too nice to have some raggedy structure there,” Smith said.
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