YOUNGSTOWN Tour of duty: Architects assess work to be done on 12 schools

From the boiler room to the roof, architects got a close look at the school district's looming building project.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- They tapped on pipes, scrutinized floor tiles, measured the height of ceilings and even climbed up a steel ladder and walked on the roof.
A team of architects and engineers, toting tape measures and notepads, scoured every inch of Volney Rogers Junior High School on Monday in the first step of a $6.5 million project to renovate and expand the 41-year-old building on the city's West Side.
"It's very tedious, very time-consuming," said Anthony DeNiro, executive director of school business affairs. "But it's worthwhile."
DeNiro is leading architects on tours of the 12 city school buildings slated to undergo renovations or additions as part of the school district's $163.5 million facilities improvement project.
Voters approved a 4.4-mill tax issue in November to provide the $33.2 million local project share. The state will pay $130.2 million.
Building four schools: In addition to overhauling 12 buildings, the building plan calls for constructing three new elementary schools and a new high school.
The first phase of the construction will focus on the four new schools, which should begin in the summer of 2002, DeNiro said. The project will take about six years.
Work on the improvements will be divided among five architectural firms: Ricciuti Balog & amp; Partners, Hanahan-Strollo and Associates, Olsavsky-Jaminet Architects and MS Consultants, all of Youngstown, and Ralph Tyler Companies Consulting Engineers and Architects of Cleveland.
The architects are touring buildings to review each school's needs, DeNiro said. The tours began March 16 at Chaney High School and will end May 7 at The Rayen School.
After the tours: Once the tours are finished, architects will meet with focus teams of principals, secretaries, teachers, custodians and city residents at each school to further discuss specifics about the renovations and additions.
"We just want to get a handle on what the facility needs are," said Steven Ludwinski of Heery International Inc. in Cleveland, the project manager overseeing the construction.
Ludwinski joined Bradley Adams of Heery and Cherie Hayek, John Knapik and Larry Brehm of MS Consultants on the Volney tour. Principal Marilyn Mastronarde led the group.
"One of my concerns is the hallways. They're very dark, especially on overcast days," Mastronarde said during the tour that included the boiler room, each classroom, the cafeteria and gymnasium.
The 67,000-square-foot building will get new lights, floors and windows and air conditioning. District officials hope a 13,000-square foot addition will allow the school to expand its cafeteria and library.
The school will be converted from a junior high school for grades seven and eight to a middle school for grades five through eight.