Hempfield retains architect for possible renovation or rebuild of high school

Hempfield Area School Board members have elected to retain a Bellevue-based company to assist with a possible renovation or rebuild of the high school.

Core Architects was unanimously hired by board members this week. The company previously worked on a yearlong feasibility study alongside Minnesota-based SitelogIQ, which examined the district’s physical, educational and functional needs. It also presented board members with options for a construction project at the high school and other district buildings.

Core Architects will “provide architectural and engineering services for the design and construction administration of a project for the Hempfield Area High School,” according to Superintendent Tammy Wolicki.

Board members first started discussing a possible construction project in December 2020 when they started the feasibility study.

The study was presented to the community last month and listed three options for the high school: renovation, which would consist of upgrading certain areas of the building; revitalization, which would take the building down to its structural system and replace everything as new; and a rebuild, which would result in a brand new high school.

A project has not yet been chosen, however board members have taken steps to ensure work can get underway once a decision is made.

In addition to retaining Core Architects, officials in January hired SitelogIQ for construction and management services. They also hired Jamison Hardy as a consultant. Hardy oversaw negations for a newly constructed high school and renovation of the former high school into a middle school in the Peters Township School District.

“Once a decision has been made for a project, Core Architects will be very involved in the programming and design phase,” Wolicki said.

She noted representatives from Core Architects and SitelogIQ will assist in hosting stakeholder meetings in the coming weeks that will provide information to the community while gathering community input. Dates and times for those meetings have not yet been announced.