Council president says approach to East Providence schools up-keep must change

Briden requests overview of finances with looming construction, repairs

By Mike Rego
Posted 4/6/17

EAST PROVIDENCE — Calling it a “very productive week” of presentations and discussions on the subject, city council president and mayor Jim Briden addressed at his body’s April 4 meeting the …

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Council president says approach to East Providence schools up-keep must change

Briden requests overview of finances with looming construction, repairs

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — Calling it a “very productive week” of presentations and discussions on the subject, city council president and mayor Jim Briden addressed at his body’s April 4 meeting the series of events held recently related to the structural status of East Providence High School.

Mr. Briden referred to the concerning report issued by the SLAM Collaborative architectural group, which was hired to review EPHS and made its findings know at a special meeting of the school committee on March 27.

In so many words, the analysis read the building, constructed in 1952, has served its purpose well through the many years of its operation if it hasn’t always been serviced in kind over the decades. Among its numerous deficiencies, the building’s electrical and HVAC components are in need of the significant overhaul and relatively urgent attention.

SLAM’s report anticipated it would cost upwards of $95 million in current values to renovate the building and, when other elements are taken into account, approximately $120 million to build a new high school at existing rates.

The night after the SLAM report was released, Mr. Briden, his counterparts on the council and school committee as well as administrators from the city side and district then went on a walking tour of the 65-year-old building. They were shown into the seldom-seen bowels of EPHS where much of the worry over its state exists.

Mr. Briden, apparently struck by the severity of the situation, said the city as a whole needs to look at all of its school buildings and have a plan of address “formulated” for repairs needed down the road. He referred to a five-year plan initiated by the district in 2013, asking the council be presented with details such as how much money has been spent to date and what has been repaired? It should be noted current schools superintendent Kathryn Crowley has instructed district facilities director Tony Feola to develop a new five-year plan as a follow-up to the one about to expire Mr. Briden referenced.

Referring to the expression, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” Mr. Briden said it was vital the city and school department to confront issues with its buildings in a timely, contemplative manner.

“Something really does have to change in how we maintain our buildings in the future,” he said, adding, “We can’t repeat the mistakes of the past.”

To that end, Mr. Briden suggested the city’s planning department be brought fully into the discussion, sharing its expertise on supporting similar projects and accessing funding available to the school district for construction.

In addition, Mr. Briden has requested city finance director Malcolm Moore and state-appointed Municipal Finance Advisor Paul Luba prepare a review of East Providence’s current fiscal position and make a presentation on their findings at the April 18 council meeting.

Mr. Briden asked the administrators to gather information on the city’s existing debts, its outstanding bonds, its overall bond capacity and the status of its fiscal year synchronization fund so as to glean where East Providence stands in its ability to finance construction projects going forward.

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MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.