State officials have dropped an objection to the Northville Central School District’s plan to replace 175 old, drafty windows at its high school, enabling the $3.86 million renovation project to go forward.
Northville had planned to remove the old windows and replace them with energy-efficient windows until the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation ruled the district would have to store the old-growth wood frames of the 1930s-era windows in perpetuity in case any future owner of the building wanted to remove the new windows and restore the originals.
Further, in order to be stored, the windows would need to undergo a costly asbestos abatement.
Northville Superintendent Kathy Dougherty said the OPRHP dropped its requirements when it was shown the cost of storing and abating the frames would have added $250,000 to the price tag of the project.
Dougherty said the state Department of Education was instrumental in getting the requirements modified.
The Department of Education, which is providing approximately 60 percent of the funding for the renovation projection, “told [OPRHP] they wouldn’t back the project because they didn’t think it was a wise use of taxpayer money. So, [OPRHP] backed off and said all we had to do was store one of each of the different styles of windows. So, now we’re looking at storing about four windows,” Dougherty said.
The window project is now projected to cost 27 percent less than the district originally estimated, a total of $654,247. At its October meeting, the Northville School Board awarded a $598,362 contract to Ajay Glass and Mirror Co. and a $55,885 contract for asbestos removal to AB Construction and Environmental LLC, Gloversville.
Dougherty said the window replacement project will occur in phases starting in the spring and will be completed over the summer. She said the majority of the work will be performed during the second shift time period — the late afternoon and evening, when students and staff are not occupying the building.
Northville has also received approval from OPRHP to proceed with phase 2 of the renovation project, which will include the renovation of two science labs and a family and consumer science room, installation of a buildingwide security system, installation of new technology like interactive white boards, removal of fuel tanks and reconstruction of portions of the boiler system.
Dougherty said Northville is still waiting for final approval of the second phase of the project from the Department of Education. She said she expects the entire project will be completed before the start of school in September 2011.
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