Ridge Hill School Renovation Coming Soon

HAMDEN — For the Board of Education, Ridge Hill School has been No. 1 on the capital improvements list and has been approved to undergo a series of renovations.

The School Building Committee, made up of members of the school board and Legislative Council, Wednesday night approved an architectural services document for interested firms to follow when they submit proposals.

The document will be reviewed by the council and then proposals will be sought.

The council has set aside $1.2 million for renovations to the school on Carew Road, though the list of what needs to be done is estimated at $1.6 million. When firm prices for the work are decided, some of the work would probably be eliminated, officials said Wednesday night.

Repairs include new carpeting, floor and ceiling tiles, bathrooms, replacing hallway dividers with permanent walls and upgrades in various areas such as lighting and the building management system. All restrooms also will be renovated.

Meanwhile, $422,000 in energy improvements are already underway, according to Mark Albanese, director of facilities for the school system. The town’s energy consultant, Power Point, has completed about 95 percent of the lighting upgrades. Miscellaneous fixtures and controls upgrades will be done by mid-October, Albanese reported.

“There is a tremendous difference in the lighting. We’ve reduced the number of fixtures and wattage, but we have more lighting,” he told the committee.

Roughly half of the money for the energy improvements came from a United Illuminating grant, according to mayoral aide Curt Leng. The rest of the money is coming from town resources and a UI financing program, he said.

Albanese said that the goal is to start working on renovations over the Christmas, February and April vacations. Work cannot begin until all of the proposals are back and the best proposal is selected.

Leng said that the repairs for Ridge Hill made it to the front burner because of complaints about the school’s condition.

“Ridge Hill is one of the oldest buildings in the district which hasn’t undergone any type of renovation,” Albanese said.

Ridge Hill was built in 1969 and still contains a lot of original materials, including the bathrooms, water fountains and ceiling and gymnasium tiles. The gym and ceiling tiles contain asbestos and will have to be carefully monitored when removed.

Kimberly Scroggins is a Register intern. Assistant Metro Editor Ann DeMatteo contributed to this report.