BRISTOL, Va. – A Marion, Va., architectural firm will craft the design to renovate a vacant warehouse into the city school division’s new administrative offices.
At its Tuesday meeting, the Bristol Virginia School Board unanimously approved hiring architect William Huber. He was selected from a field of 15 architectural firms that submitted proposals to design office and storage space in the former Bristol Builder’s Supply-Central Warehouse on Lee Street.
“What really separated them was they’ve done more renovation work than anybody we looked at – by far,” Superintendent Mark Lineburg said after the nearly four-hour meeting. “Every firm in the final three was just outstanding, but the work Mr. Huber has done in Blacksburg, Roanoke and the revitalizing of downtown Marion, he’s demonstrated a real eye for renovating older buildings.”
Lineburg was one of seven members of a special committee that reviewed each proposal. After conducting interviews with four, the committee selected three finalists and made visits to projects each firm designed, Lineburg said.
Board Chairman Ronald Cameron hailed awarding the architectural contract as a “monumental moment” for the school system. Administrative offices have long been housed in a 100-year-old Oak Street building that fails to meet federal standards for handicap accessibility and suffers from insufficient space, storage and parking.
School leaders have spent more than three years trying to find an acceptable alternative and funding. Earlier this year, City Manager Dewey Cashwell offered to donate the city-owned warehouse and officials also have identified an interest-free federal loan to help pay for the expected $3 million renovation.
“We are very pleased to be at this moment. It was our first real big deadline. It’s exciting we’ve moved from if to when. I want to commend the committee that has put a lot of miles on cars and a lot of time and have done their homework,” Cameron said.
Huber attended the meeting, but had to wait through a two-hour executive session before the board voted unanimously to retain his firm.
Afterward, he said he was excited about the prospects of designing the space.
“The programming hasn’t been completed, so exactly what they want to put in there I’m not sure – other than what’s in the present school board office,” Huber said. “But I’ve been involved in a lot of projects where you have older, more open, warehouse-like buildings that were converted into office space.”
The building will need all new electrical, plumbing, heat and air conditioning systems, Huber said, adding that one of his goals is to introduce more daylight.
“To the extent you can keep that open space feel and still create the work spaces you need for staff, you can really create a very nice work environment. We’d like to celebrate that nice, heavy timber structure, the nice pine floors and the brick on the exterior walls,” Huber said. “It’s going to be an exciting candidate.”
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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