McKeesport board OKs study of improvement project

It would involve upgrades to the high school and the football stadium.

At Thursday’s meeting, the McKeesport Area school board authorized an architectural firm to consider an $850,000 improvement plan for its high school and stadium.

The projects include improving conditions at both locations, facility assessments and turf replacement.

The study, which will be conducted by Draw Collective Architecture, is set to cost no more than $36,800 and will be paid out of the district’s capital improvement fund. That cost is reimbursable if the study moves toward a project and renovations, and it is pending the creation of a contract and the solicitor’s approval.

Student Lucas Alexa also asked for the band and orchestra room in the middle school to be moved into part of the library since it is a small area.

MASD President David Seropian said the reason they are doing a study at the high school is because similar spaces like the middle school need upgrades.

“We do have some deficiencies that we recognize in that school, so it’s important that we get this underway and get a study. That’s not going to solve the problem immediately.”

Seropian said the study is just to assess the facility at the high school. They will hire the firm to spend time in the building, assessing the conditions of the building and more. They will then convert that into a study for the board to review.

Solicitor Gary Matta said he worked with the architects before, and that there are parts of the school that definitely need updated. Thursday’s approval was just for the study, he said, and not for a possible project.

Holtzman voted against the motion due to issues in the past with a different architect that did half a million dollars in drawings of the school that never came back to the board. He said he had additional issues with this assessment.

“The high school needs renovation. There’s no question,” he said. “There’s some issues there that I find very alarming, and it’s alarming enough for me to vote no.”

The bid to replace the stadium’s artificial turf surface with Vertex-Core 2.25 inch turf is set to cost the district no more than $821,576.15. Expenses, according to district materials, will be paid through the district’s capital improvement fund.

School director Jason Pavlecic said he knows the turf is a expensive, but the field will be more ADA accessible, have better fencing, turnstiles and other improvements besides the turf. The track is in good standing shape.

Pavlecic added that the cost will be offset by a $250,000 grant MASD received from the Tull Family Foundation.

Created by Thomas and Alba Tull, the foundation recently announced grants totaling $2 million supporting high school athletics at nine Allegheny County school districts, including MASD.

“This is not some major stadium renovation that is going on at the high school,” Pavlecic said. “This is replacing the turf field that is over 12 years old, and something will happen if it is not taken care of soon.”