A steady stream of desks, boxes, and file cabinets made their way up the side stairs and into the renovated second floor of the Reynolds School on Tuesday afternoon, as it was moving day for the Bristol Warren Regional School District’s main offices.

Fortunately for the movers, the south-side doors provided the best access to the district’s new offices as the front steps were blocked off, with still-tacky wet paint on the stairs.

“We’re trying to coordinate between the town and the school district, so I probably should have let the DPW know to not paint the front steps during their move in day,” said Town Administrator Steven Contente, with a smile. “Not everything is perfect.”

It’s pretty close, though. With gleaming floors, large, open rooms, high ceilings and windows that let great light in and offer expansive views of High Street and the Town Common, the new space is a clear upgrade over the darker and more confined spaces at the Oliver School building on State Street, which has been home to BWRSD administration for many years.

The building also boasts a large meeting space with a central auditorium with a second-floor balcony, and a fully functional elevator. “We have this great auditorium that both the Town and School District can use for socially-spaced public meetings,” said Contente.

Superintendent Ana Riley provided a tour of the new offices, showing where, in just a few days’ time, the space will be humming with the activity of her staff.

“Here is where we’ll be set up to buzz people in,” said said of the double doors at the landing on the south side of the building, adjacent to the small parking area. The pupil personnel office, special education department, finance, and her own office, as well as that of the assistant Superintendent, can all be housed in the hall, most with east-facing windows.

But based on her enthusiasm, Riley’s favorite spot in the building might actually be down cellar — no, not the large, round communal hand-washing station that graces the gray hall like a fountain in a Florentine garden — it’s the massive, windowed space which formerly served as a cafeteria for generations of Reynolds students. With a fresh coat of paint and newly-assembled shelving units, a trek for supplies should be a significantly more pleasant experience than it was in the Oliver School basement.

All part of the plan
This move, like many others Town Hall has made of late, is part of a bigger-picture plan to consolidate the Town’s real estate holdings, maintain the historic properties the Town is duty-bound to maintain, and shed the ones that are just costing money and man-hours.

The recent sale of 10 Naomi Street resulted in a profit of which about $200,000 was allocated to the Reynolds renovations. There was less than $39,000 contributed by BWRSD for upgrades that were specific to their needs, and the District will also be paying $3,000 per month for the space. The upgrades to Reynolds, which include all new HVAC and IT technology, courtesy of federal Rescue Plan funds, will also allow the Town personnel staffing the Community Development and Building Official’s offices to relocate to the first floor of Reynolds, sometime in January. At that point, their vacated space at 9 Court St. will go on the market — a plan which has already been authorized by the Town Council.

The Town is also negotiating with BWRSD for the return of the Oliver School, at which point they would ideally like to sell that property and get it back on the tax rolls.

While admitting that it is a little early to call these plans firm, Contente said that a long term plan could include accommodating the School Department at the Byfield School, while consolidating all of Bristol’s Town offices at Reynolds. The current Town Hall could revert to municipal parking, while the Burnside Building would house the 4th of July museum along with the Veterans Council, its current occupant.

“We really want the school district to succeed so I’m here to support the superintendent as much as I can,” said Contente. “We are happy to have them here.”