3 firms will divide facilities study

Baseball and wrestling boosters want to improve those sports' facilities.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Three Youngstown architectural firms will study school district facilities and make recommendations about improvements and projected costs.
After narrowing a list of 20 firms down to three, school officials determined each firm offered expertise that could be vital to various parts of the project. Rather than choosing just one firm to review all eight buildings, the board approved a resolution Monday to divide the work among the three firms.
Superintendent Frank Lazzeri said the district has used all three firms in the past. He said after hearing discussion in the community, he believes people think the renovation plans are much further along than they are.
"It's all research and discussion at this point," he said. "The board hasn't even voted to put a bond issue on the ballot yet."
How work is split
Strollo Architects Inc. of Federal Plaza will study options for the high school auxiliary gymnasium, Market Street Elementary and the football stadium.
The 4M Company of Glenwood Avenue will study Stadium Drive Elementary and Robinwood Lane Elementary.
Olsavsky-Jaminet Architects of East Front Street will consider plans for Boardman Glenwood and Boardman Center middle schools and West Boulevard Elementary.
Representatives of the baseball and wrestling booster clubs asked the board if and how renovation of facilities for those sports fit into the district's plan.
Board members asked the boosters to be patient while architects study the facilities.
Baseball boosters said they are on the verge of finalizing a major donation to the baseball program and want to replace dugouts at the baseball field.
Wrestling boosters said the wrestlers are having a good season mostly because the board allowed them to practice off school property at a facility in Boardman Plaza. They thanked the board for recognizing the district's wrestling facilities are inadequate and unsafe.
Wrestling boosters said they would like the board to provide $50,000, and they would raise the balance of whatever is needed for new wrestling facilities.
tullis@vindy.com