Detroit school construction and renovation program

[DetroitZack]

This little clip was in today's Detroit Free Press.

Firms tapped for school construction, renovation

Three companies will jointly manage Detroit Public Schools' $500.5-million school construction and renovation program, district officials said Wednesday. The selection is pending final negotiations with the companies.
The district's construction program is to build eight schools and renovate 10 others over the next three years.
The companies are Walbridge, a construction firm headquartered in Detroit; Brailsford & Dunlavey, a Washington-based program and construction management firm, and Fanning Howey, an educational planning and architectural firm with an office in Novi.
The CEOs of the three firms will report to Robert Bobb, the DPS emergency financial manager.

This is pretty exciting. I wonder what 10 schools are going to be renovated. Well here is a thread to discuss the renovations and the 8 schools that are being built.

[bartock]

...nice not to see Jenkins or Ferguson named.

[cman710]

I think this plan will draw a lot of criticism, not because people do not want new schools, but because many will wonder why the city is leaving many school buildings open to the elements while it will go and build ten new schools.

I do understand that in some cases, it is probably cheaper to build new, though. And considering that Detroit needs to make every dollar go as far as it can, the choice to build new is not necessarily a bad one. I hate the see the effect that closing old school buildings has on neighborhods, though.

[Rocko]

The greenest building is one that is already built! Imagine the landfill space required to demolish just one school building. Renovation is always more cost effective in the long run.

[Retroit]

Declining enrollment and they're building schools? Didn't they just close a bunch of schools? Will these new schools replace schools currently in use? If so, will some of this money be used to demolish those schools, or will they be left as eyesores?

[DetroitTeacher]

I am on the committee for my school's improvements [[we aren't sure if they are going to build a new school...which would be cheaper...or modernize). I do have some insider info since I am privy to the meetings with the folks at the top. DPS does have some great ideas for a turn-around and will be wonderful if it all works as planned. The money for building the new schools DOES include money for demolishing the old buildings. Everything MUST be completed by November 2012. Here is the list of schools:

New Buildings: Brightmoor pk-8, Chadsey, Finney, MLK, Sr High, Maybury pk-8, Mumford, Munger
Modernization: Bethune pk-8, Cooley [[up in the air about new bldg), Denby, Duffield pk-8, Ford HS, JR King pk-8, Marcus Garvey pk-8, Mark Twain pk-8, Northwestern, Western Intl.

[MichMatters]

The CEOs of the three firms will report to Robert Bobb, the DPS emergency financial manager.

Probably the most reassuring line of the entire article. lol

BTW, can someone post the link to this article or blurb? It's just common courtesy, really, as well as for verification purposes.

[Retroit]

The money for building the new schools DOES include money for demolishing the old buildings.

Thank you DetroitTeacher. That is good to hear.

I, too, hope that Robert Bobb is able to accomplish a turn-around with DPS. Otherwise, Detroiters will continue to leave the city. I also hope the teachers will accept this new "deferred pay" plan and quit the internal union strife. Their behavior at the meeting last night was deplorable. Would they accept behavior like that from their students?

[DetroitTeacher]

I don't know about anyone else but I am actually coming out ahead, financially, with the new benefits [[even WITH the TIP monies being taken out). I am not complaining and I really don't know why anyone else is. They aren't looking at the big picture. Once I had everything figured out [[with the decrease in benefits cost) I am getting an extra 40 bucks a pay [[as opposed to status quo prior to the "loan" and benefits change).

I don't attend rallies because I am usually embarassed by the behavior of my colleagues. I am in this for the kids [[really, I am) and if the rest of the universe is taking a pay cut I don't see why teachers shouldn't pitch in. I think the issue is that things were not clearly stated for us in communications from DFT or the district [[as far as pricing for benefits, which plans were available, etc). No one I have spoken with was complaining about the money being taken out...we were concerned over a lack of communication.