The current Anna E. Barry Elementary School.
Reminder Publishing file photo
CHICOPEE — The Anna E. Barry Elementary School project can officially move forward after the City Council voted 12-1 to approve the necessary bond funding at its Oct. 14 meeting.
The proposed project will replace the existing Anna E. Barry Elementary School with a new two-story building serving 340 students in grades kindergarten through grade 5, plus pre-kindergarten, on an alternative site adjacent to the Szetela Early Childhood Center, which will also undergo renovations.
Initially, there was one proposal that looked to build the new school on Garrity Grove, but due to deed restrictions, wetland restrictions and a provision in Article 97, Szetela offered a more viable option.
The project also includes adding sidewalks near the school entrance to increase pedestrian safety and either a signalized intersection or a roundabout to slow the traffic. The roundabout solution is currently preferred by the city and most stakeholders, according to Caolo and Bieniek Architects Principal and Project Architect Bert Gardner.
The current estimated total project budget is approximately $106.7 million. Chicopee started at the highest eligible reimbursement rate of 80% of eligible costs. After reviewing the project, the Massachusetts School Building Authority approved a maximum reimbursement grant of about $57.6 million, meaning the district share will be about $49.1 million.
The MSBA Board of Directors voted to approve a grant of up to $56.6 million for a new Anna E. Barry Elementary School on Aug. 26. The vote also moved the project toward design development.
As part of traffic mitigation, Gardner said they don’t want any traffic spilling into Granby Road while parents drop off their children.
To that end, the proposed plan includes an extensive parent drop-off loop to make sure both schools can be accommodated on the site without any backup. School traffic will also be removed from the residential neighborhoods because a new entrance will be built on the property.
Gardner said the final numbers are not official until construction is complete. He also stated that due to inflation, delaying the $106 million project by four years could increase the cost by $64 million.
Had the funding not passed, Gardner said the MSBA process would have had to restart, which could have increased costs and delayed the project’s completion by nine to 12 years.
Chicopee has worked with the MSBA since 2022 to build or renovate a new elementary school to replace the Anna E. Barry Elementary School, built in 1963, and to be partially reimbursed for the project.
In the district’s statement of interest, Chicopee identified numerous deficiencies in the existing facility associated with mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, the building’s envelope and accessibility issues. In addition to the physical plant issues, the district reported that the existing facility does not support the delivery of its educational program.
Currently, the timeline is for students to move into the new building in September 2029.
During its Sept. 16 meeting, the School Committee endorsed the final project scope, schematic design, and total budget for the new school’s construction as recommended by the Building Commission and approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
Mayor John Vieau also stated during the Sept. 16 meeting that the city is equipped to handle the debt service, and the project won’t put a huge burden on taxpayers. He added that he does not anticipate needing a Proposition 2 ½ override to fund the project.
Vieau shared his excitement for the project advancing in a statement sent to Reminder Publishing.
“I am absolutely elated for our students, future generations and the entire Chicopee community following the City Council’s approval of the authorization to move forward with bonding for the Anna E. Barry Elementary School project,” Vieau said. “We are also incredibly fortunate to have secured reimbursement funding through the Massachusetts School Building Authority, helping offset costs for our taxpayers while making this transformative investment in our children’s future possible. I look forward to celebrating the grand opening of Chicopee’s first state-of-the-art elementary school and witnessing the lasting, positive impact this project will have on our students, educators and the entire Chicopee community. This is truly a legacy project. One that will benefit our community for generations to come.”
