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warwickonline.com
A proposal to lease the vacant Rhodes Elementary School to the Rhode Island School For the Deaf, which is currently being renovated, is being greeted enthusiastically.
Rhodes was closed earlier this year, when the School Committee, which needed to save money due to budget shortfalls, closed three schools, including Potowomut and Drum Rock—which now serves as the district’s early childhood center.
School Committee Chairman Christopher Friel said he, and to his knowledge, everyone involved, is in favor of the plan.
“I don’t see how anyone could not be in favor of driving in additional income at times like these,” said Friel.
“There really don’t seem to be any negative aspects to this.” Friel said the department is looking to rent the building for $10 to $12 a square foot.
School Committee member Paul Cannistra said he too is in favor of the plan, but cautioned that the issue of bringing the building up to fire code, and the lease price, could complicate matters.
“We just need to make sure the lease price is correct and make sure we’re not in a position where we need to put some kind of cash outlay to make sure there is compliance with the state fire code,” said Cannistra.
John Pagliarini, a member of the State Properties Committee, made a motion to allow the R.I. School for the Deaf to negotiate the terms of a potential lease with the School Committee at their meeting last Friday. Pagliarini included a caveat requiring the committee to keep the mayor and City Council informed of the terms as part of his motion.
The measure passed.
Like Cannistra, Pagliarini said the issue of the fire code could thwart the process.
“A building needs to breathe and have its systems functioning, otherwise more costly problems occur. Of concern is who will pay for any fire/building code requirements necessary for occupancy,” said Pagliarni.
Officials from the School for the Deaf could not be reached by press time.
The school was scheduled to go under renovations this year, after the General Assembly allocated $31 million for the school to build a new building in 2006, but difficulty finding a location prevented them from doing so.
It is unclear how long the renovations will take, but the school will negotiate a one-year lease with the school department.
According to school Business Affairs Director Leonard Flood, Rhodes is now being used for the storage of equipment. He said costs of maintaining the building are minimal.
A proposal to lease the vacant Rhodes Elementary School to the Rhode Island School For the Deaf, which is currently being renovated, is being greeted enthusiastically.
Rhodes was closed earlier this year, when the School Committee, which needed to save money due to budget shortfalls, closed three schools, including Potowomut and Drum Rock—which now serves as the district’s early childhood center.
School Committee Chairman Christopher Friel said he, and to his knowledge, everyone involved, is in favor of the plan.
“I don’t see how anyone could not be in favor of driving in additional income at times like these,” said Friel.
“There really don’t seem to be any negative aspects to this.” Friel said the department is looking to rent the building for $10 to $12 a square foot.
School Committee member Paul Cannistra said he too is in favor of the plan, but cautioned that the issue of bringing the building up to fire code, and the lease price, could complicate matters.
“We just need to make sure the lease price is correct and make sure we’re not in a position where we need to put some kind of cash outlay to make sure there is compliance with the state fire code,” said Cannistra.
John Pagliarini, a member of the State Properties Committee, made a motion to allow the R.I. School for the Deaf to negotiate the terms of a potential lease with the School Committee at their meeting last Friday. Pagliarini included a caveat requiring the committee to keep the mayor and City Council informed of the terms as part of his motion.
The measure passed.
Like Cannistra, Pagliarini said the issue of the fire code could thwart the process.
“A building needs to breathe and have its systems functioning, otherwise more costly problems occur. Of concern is who will pay for any fire/building code requirements necessary for occupancy,” said Pagliarni.
Officials from the School for the Deaf could not be reached by press time.
The school was scheduled to go under renovations this year, after the General Assembly allocated $31 million for the school to build a new building in 2006, but difficulty finding a location prevented them from doing so.
It is unclear how long the renovations will take, but the school will negotiate a one-year lease with the school department.
According to school Business Affairs Director Leonard Flood, Rhodes is now being used for the storage of equipment. He said costs of maintaining the building are minimal.