MAPLEWOOD — An asbestos abatement project that has begun at Columbia High School is part of the first phase of $30 million in facilities improvements that will be completed during the next three years.
“These are very exciting renovations that will help us provide Columbia High School students with a 21st-century education while maintaining the unique historic character of the building,” said Ronald Taylor, superintendent of the schools of South Orange & Maplewood. “We are grateful to everyone who is making these much-needed improvements happen. They will serve students and the community for many generations to come.”
Ten new science laboratories are part of the plan, four of which will be ready in June 2024, according to an update to staff by CHS Principal Frank Sanchez.
The school’s library will be transformed into a state-of-the-art Media Center. Stacks of books will be removed to make way for collaborative workspaces, a room for tutoring, and an area for counseling and testing.
A recording studio for podcasting, a room for the district’s interactive archives, and a lounge for the Minority Achievement Committee (MAC) are among the new center’s features, as well as nearly 1,600 square feet of community space for events, meetings, and lectures. The Media Center is projected to be completed in June 2025.
Perhaps the greatest transformation over the next three years will be that of the school’s indoor swimming pool into a student common area that will be known as “Alumni Commons.”
The ceilings that bring to mind New York City’s Grand Central Oyster Bar will remain intact. The rest of the space has been reimagined to provide a college-like space for juniors and seniors to convene.
The lower level will flow to the upper level via a giant staircase that leads to three quiet rooms. A café will be on the lower level, nestled along the side of the staircase. A separate section for a Guidance Suite and other offices will run the length of one side of the commons. The area’s defining feature will be the Alumni Gallery, which will showcase the many CHS alumni and the successes they have achieved. Alumni Commons is projected to be completed in June 2024.
“These capital improvements not only provide resources we need for the future of education at Columbia High School, but they also preserve the school’s past,” said Sanchez. “While we’re glad that the design preserves the building’s historic attributes, we’re also excited about the projects’ features – like the interactive archive and Alumni Commons – that can reconnect us with our school’s alumni and our community’s history.”
The funding for these improvements has been provided by a $157.5 million bond that was approved by the Board of School Estimate in June 2019.
Last week, district officials and contractors met to ensure that areas under construction would not be accessible by students and staff. Exits near the areas under construction will continue to be accessible to students and staff.
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