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GazetteXtra
The State Building Commission approved Wednesday spending $87,000 to design a facility to replace the 97-year-old building that houses the high school program at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Delavan.
The state Department of Public Instruction first recommended replacing Walker Hall in 1986, saying it no longer met modern safety or fire codes. But the state Department of Administration, which prepares capital projects for consideration by the commission and Legislature, was interested only in repairing, not replacing, Walker over the years, said Patrick Gaspar, a DPI spokesman.
“It’s been a priority for us to get (Walker) up to compliance with code and safety requirements, but it has to go through the building commission, which only allowed repairs to fix it,” Gaspar said.
In 2005, the Department of Administration asked for a long-range plan for the Wisconsin School for the Deaf campus. The DPI dusted off its 1986 recommendation and requested a $3.45 million replacement for Walker.
The building commission Wednesday approved funding for the first step—facility design, which can take up to two years. Construction funding won’t be requested until the 2009-11 state budget, Gaspar said.
Walker was built in 1911 with a timber frame and masonry exterior. The three-story structure has a wood roof and wood floors but the fire sprinkler system covers only the attic.
Walker was designed when most of the school’s students were ambulatory, but now about half have multiple disabilities, making fire safety a greater concern, Gaspar said.
“That’s one of the reasons it’s being replaced,” he said.
John Brown, the school’s buildings and grounds superintendent, said his concerns about Walker’s fire safety are lessened by monthly fire drills and a new campus emergency messaging system that puts an electronic signboard in every classroom and hallway.
Walker’s problems include sub floors that flex enough to crack asbestos floor tiles; electrical and emergency lighting systems that date from the 1950s, and roofing, ventilation and plumbing systems that have reached the end of their useful lives. An elevator that was added in the 1980s frequently breaks down.
Plans call for demolishing Walker once its replacement can be occupied.
The State Building Commission approved Wednesday spending $87,000 to design a facility to replace the 97-year-old building that houses the high school program at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Delavan.
The state Department of Public Instruction first recommended replacing Walker Hall in 1986, saying it no longer met modern safety or fire codes. But the state Department of Administration, which prepares capital projects for consideration by the commission and Legislature, was interested only in repairing, not replacing, Walker over the years, said Patrick Gaspar, a DPI spokesman.
“It’s been a priority for us to get (Walker) up to compliance with code and safety requirements, but it has to go through the building commission, which only allowed repairs to fix it,” Gaspar said.
In 2005, the Department of Administration asked for a long-range plan for the Wisconsin School for the Deaf campus. The DPI dusted off its 1986 recommendation and requested a $3.45 million replacement for Walker.
The building commission Wednesday approved funding for the first step—facility design, which can take up to two years. Construction funding won’t be requested until the 2009-11 state budget, Gaspar said.
Walker was built in 1911 with a timber frame and masonry exterior. The three-story structure has a wood roof and wood floors but the fire sprinkler system covers only the attic.
Walker was designed when most of the school’s students were ambulatory, but now about half have multiple disabilities, making fire safety a greater concern, Gaspar said.
“That’s one of the reasons it’s being replaced,” he said.
John Brown, the school’s buildings and grounds superintendent, said his concerns about Walker’s fire safety are lessened by monthly fire drills and a new campus emergency messaging system that puts an electronic signboard in every classroom and hallway.
Walker’s problems include sub floors that flex enough to crack asbestos floor tiles; electrical and emergency lighting systems that date from the 1950s, and roofing, ventilation and plumbing systems that have reached the end of their useful lives. An elevator that was added in the 1980s frequently breaks down.
Plans call for demolishing Walker once its replacement can be occupied.