Glencoe District 35 officials, citing safety concerns and space needs, are examining constructing an addition for its administration building that comes with a nearly $5 million cost estimate.
District 35 representatives have taken some initial steps toward construction of a proposed 3,246 square foot addition at the southern end of Central School located at 620 Greenwood Avenue, where the administration offices are located.
Part of the interest in the proposed addition on the current building is the belief it would provide another layer of security. In the building’s current configuration, visitors to the administration building now enter through Central School, walking down the same corridors as students.
“It would be a separate secure entrance to the district offices,” District 35 Superintendent Catherine Wang explained.
Wang also acknowledged the administration needs additional space.
“It would allow us to consolidate our district office team,” she said. “We are now spread in different parts of that building and it will allow for some improved collaboration spaces with district administration.”
As part of the plan, the existing vegetable garden near the Central School building would have to be moved, Wang said.
School officials said they have received a $4.9 million estimate for the necessary work for project, but that could change.
“It is still an estimate. We really don’t know until the bids come in,” Director of Finance and Operations Jason Edelheit noted.
District officials examined building a separate addition for the basement area, but that was discarded due to an estimated $900,000 cost, according to school board documents.
In a related component of the overall plan, District 35 representatives appeared before the village’s Zoning Commission on Sept. 11 requesting a special use permit for a variance reducing the corner side setback from the required 25 feet to 15 feet.
“In order for us to even consider the architectural plans as drawn, we have to have approval from the village for that variance,” Wang said.
Zoning Commission members recommended the Glencoe Village Board approve the special use permit, per minutes of the meeting. That request now moves to the Village Board where the item is listed on the Sept. 18 Village Board meeting consent agenda, where items are rarely discussed.
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District officials will continue the exploratory process seeking out bids for the work ahead of a school board vote whether to approve the project.
An updated procurement and preconstruction schedule is expected to be presented to the School Board at their October meeting with a vote on the project possibly coming by the end of the year.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.