School board approves NHS renovation plans

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An artistic rendering of what a classroom will look like at Naugatuck High School after the renovations. –CONTRIBUTED

NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck High School renovation project has taken another step towards putting a shovel in the ground.

According to Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson, the Board of Education unanimously approved the plans for the renovation during a special meeting Oct. 18.

The $81 million project will completely restore the 53-year-old high school.

Tindall-Gibson explained that the board’s part in the plans has come to an end.

“We’re pretty much done with it. It falls to the town building department,” Tindall-Gibson said.

Building Inspector Bill Herzman said that the plans will first be reviewed by a third party firm to make sure that they are up to code. Herzman did not have the name of the firm that would do the review.

Once the plans are deemed to be up to code, they will go to the borough’s building department, Herzman said.

After review, the building department will send the plans on to the state Department of Education. The state will either approve the plans or send them back with requested changes. If the plans are sent back, they will go to Kaestle Boos Associates, the architectural firm that created the plans, for any changes.

“Once they’re done with that, we can go out for bid,” Tindall-Gibson said.

According to the schedule Tindall-Gibson provided, the borough will begin to seek bids for the project on Nov. 28. The bidding period will last 31 days, with Jan. 11, 2013 being the last day for bids to come in.

Then, according to the schedule, the borough will review the bids from Jan. 14 through 18. Construction is slated to start on March 1, 2013.

“We’re right on schedule,” Tindall-Gibson said.