8/12/2008
The Public Building Commission of Chicago’s Board of Commissioners today approved a contract for construction of the new Kelly Curie Gage Park High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Under the $72.6 million contract, F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, LLC will build the new school, to be located at 53rd Street and St. Louis Avenue and expected to open in the fall of 2010.
“This new school was designed with a great appreciation of how both modern technology and a healthy environment affects students and teachers,” said Erin Lavin Cabonargi, Executive Director of the Public Building Commission. “Upon its completion, students and faculty will be able to take advantage of state-of-the-art laboratories, new classrooms and a spacious library, as well as outstanding athletic amenities in a building where natural light and exceptional air quality help make learning easier.”
The new Kelly Curie Gage Park High School will be a three-story, 206,000 square foot steel frame and masonry building. This new facility is designed to serve 1,200 Chicago Public School students and will offer traditional classroom spaces as well as computer laboratories, science laboratories, fine art classrooms and performing art classrooms, and a library/media resource center. This design offers both interior and exterior athletic amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, fitness room, a competition-size gymnasium, outdoor tennis courts and athletic fields.
Further, unique design features make it possible to open the pool, the gymnasium and exterior athletic amenities to the public during non-school hours. Because of these options, the Chicago Park District can manage these available amenities, allowing area residents access to the facilities and adding fresh new recreation alternatives to the community.
Similarly, the library/media resource center has been designed to permit use on evenings and weekends, while restricting access to the remainder of the school, thereby allowing residents access to this portion of the facility.
In other business, the Board of Commissioners voted to accept a request from the Chicago Public Library to provide formulation services for five new branch libraries. The services would address such issues as property surveying, geotechnical surveys and environmental studies.
The PBC manages construction and renovation projects for the Chicago Public Library as well as the City of Chicago and its other sister agencies. Mayor Richard M. Daley serves as the PBC’s chairman. Additional information about the PBC and its projects is available at the agency’s Web site: www.pbcchicago.com.
