DALTON, Mass. — The new Wahconah Regional High School won't be ready for the start of classes this fall.
Central Berkshire Regional School District Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis sent a letter to district families Tuesday indicating that she has decided to delay the opening of the new building until Oct 12.
The letter did not provide a specific reason for the delay but stated the decision was made in consideration of "multiple factors."
"In consideration of multiple factors that take into account all that is needed (and required) to provide optimum learning spaces, I have made the decision to delay opening the new Wahconah until October 12, 2021," she wrote. "This decision was made in consultation with our Wahconah Building Project team of experts and advisors to ensure that our 9-12 graders enter a building that is as we intended it."
The new $73 million school was expected to open for the start of fall 2021.
Blake-Davis did note the pandemic has created "difficult circumstances" as well as challenges in the procurement of resources.
"We continue to see a learning setting unfold that is all that we had hoped for toward its inception as a beautiful and progressive learning space for students and staff. We are extremely fortunate to be working with a dedicated team of experts that have done everything possible to make optimum progress under (at times) difficult circumstances due to the pandemic," she wrote. "Procurement of resources has been an ongoing challenge for our construction team despite heroic efforts toward our projected timelines for completion."
She said things are still moving along and that Principal Aaron Robb and the administration will be making plans to start the school year in the original building
"He will finalize and communicate plans directly to Wahconah families in the coming days," she wrote. "We are excited to introduce this new and amazing setting to our community once the building is ready for our learners."
The distinct planned to demolish the original building but the public will have a chance to say goodbye to to "old Wahconah" during an open house on Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. This is a final opportunity for a brief self-guided walkthrough of the halls of the old building prior to its closing. Anyone unvaccinated is required to wear a mask.
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Pittsfield's Site 9 Near-Complete, Funding Secured for Sites 7 & 8
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The William Stanley Business Park is transforming from grey to greener. Site 9 is nearly completed and funds have been secured to ready Sites 7 and 8 for development.
"Sixteen and a half acres of concrete have been cracked and crushed, the demarcation layer was put down, we brought all the fill from Site 7 over to Site 9 and we brought in over 100,000 cubic yards of clean fill and topsoil to put on there," Business Development Manager Michael Coakley told the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority on Thursday.
"Water quality basins have been installed, utility corridors were constructed, the roadways, the curbs, the sidewalks have been constructed, and the grass has now been planted and we're just about there, ready to go. What's left now are the surveys that need to be done."
"It's never looked better," said Edward Weagle, principal geologist at Roux Associates.
The investment firm envisions a commercial building upwards of 20,000 square feet in the space. Across the street at 100 Woodlawn Ave., Mill Town intends to build a mixed-use development that includes housing.
Coakley reported that the two entities are working on a purchase and sale agreement. The last action items are surveying for a grant of easement and restriction for environmental conditions (ERE) on the property, and an approval not required (ANR) plan for subdivisions.
During the meeting, it was announced that PEDA received a $500,000 Site Readiness Program grant from MassDevelopment for Site 7 and Site 8. The approximately 3-acre sites are across Woodlawn Avenue from Site 9 and border Kellogg Street.
The William Stanley Business Park is transforming from grey to greener. Site 9 is nearly completed and funds have been secured to ready Sites 7 and 8 for development. click for more
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