NORTHAMPTON — Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School trustees have hired Dietz & Co. Architects to design a new building for the forestry education program after a fire heavily damaged Building E on May 23, and a final proposal could come in the fall.
At a Tuesday meeting of the board of trustees’ property subcommittee, Superintendent Andrew Linkenhoker said financial realities make it more likely that Building E will be rebuilt with the same square footage rather than the expanded footprint that the school’s leadership would prefer. Still, officials are going to push hard to get the program a state-of-the-art facility.
“I was telling my team earlier today, every night’s sleep I have, I am having less hope that (a larger building) is the reality,” Linkenhoker said. “I also do know, to be totally transparent, we have other facility issues on campus and I need to be very cautious how far we go down the route of spending every penny on the horticulture building.”
Dietz & Co. Principal Kevin Riordan worked with trustees and educators to develop a vision for the new building, and another public meeting on the topic is planned for Tuesday, July 19, at 10 a.m. in the Smith Voc library.
The school’s insurance company, MIIA, has not yet approved the claim from the fire, so it remains unclear how much money will be coming. It is also not known if the undamaged section of the building — which includes a classroom and a greenhouse — will be demolished.
The building was insured for up to $1.5 million, while the equipment and tools inside were insured for up to $238,000. Hundreds of replacements for damaged equipment and tools have been donated, which will free up some of that insurance money for use on the building.
Linkenhoker said that the latest total for cash donations from the public is $23,085.37, which he described as a “great start.” He added that the state has approved his request to use existing grant money to replace the zero-turn riding lawnmower that started the fire when it was backed into a wall that had oil-soaked rags hanging on it.
No people or animals were injured in the fire.
State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, has proposed a $1 million economic development bond bill to contribute funding for the project, Linkenhoker said, and the school is applying for grants that could provide millions more for general building renovation and repair on campus.
A preliminary project timeline from Dietz & Co. shows final designs could be ready in October, but Riordan cautioned that the “really aggressive” schedule is not firm and depends on how the project unfolds.
Riordan said the new building does not necessarily have to go in the same place as the old one, noting that the school has “a lot of open land around the campus, so maybe we build it down the hill instead.”
The school’s horticulture instructors told the trustees they need at least two shop spaces and three classrooms, along with offices, locker rooms, storage space and an indoor climbing area for students to practice climbing trees. Planners may include an additional classroom for use by the animal sciences program, depending on how much space is going to be available.
Trustees Chairman Michael Cahillane said the fire was “the first major crisis situation we’ve had in a long time” and the decisions made in the coming months will affect generations of future students. He encouraged the horticulture instructors to “ask for the world” and promised to “fight like hell to get you everything you need.”
“We’re going to be the negotiators to go to bat and get the money,” Cahillane said.
At the start of the school year in September, horticulture students will need somewhere to go, and buildings and grounds director Timothy Smith said he believes the undamaged section of Building E is expected to be ready in time.
“The boiler room is there, the office is there, the electrical supply is there. The water is going to be a little bit of a challenge, but I can make that front half work,” Smith said, adding that the plan has the blessing of the city’s building inspector.
Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.