Evansville Public Schools Facility Assessment Report January 28, 2, 2013 SGN/Wendel Architects, Design Tree Engineering and R.A. Morton Construction Managers were retained by the Evansville Public School District to perform a facility assessment of its existing buildings. The intent of this assessment is to provide a basis to evaluate and make recommendations related to possible facility improvements. On January 8, January 14 and January 22 members of the team toured the district s facility The Evansville School District currently operates one facility in Evansville which currently houses approximately 69 Elementary students in Kindergarten through 5 th grade, and approximately 94 Middle School students in 6 th through 8 th grades. The Middle School includes students from the adjacent Brandon School District. Resident Evansville High School students attend school in Brandon, except that Metal Shop for both Evansville and Brandon High School students is taught in the Evansville building. The Evansville and Brandon Districts partner for athletics and events are split between the Evansville and Brandon facilities. General Building Data A. Evansville School 1. Grade Structure: PK-5 Elementary School, 6-8 Middle School 2. Building Ages: 1917, 1939, 1954, 1974 (Community Center) 3. Building Areas: 1917 2,163 SF (Basement) 4,100 SF (Floor 1) 4,100 SF (Floor 2) 10,363 SF Subtotal 1939 5,792 SF (Floor 1) 1,443 SF (Mezzanine) 1,850 SF (Floor 2) 9,085 SF Subtotal 1954 4,705 SF (Lower Level) 16,763 SF (Floor 1) 1,267 SF (Mezzanine) 22,735 SF Subtotal
1974 20,492 SF (Lower Level) 8,449 SF (Floor 1) 28,942 SF Subtotal Total Building Area 71,124 SF 4. Site Acreage: Approx. 12.0 acres Building Deficiency Report The existing building was reviewed for deficiencies in the following areas: Regulatory Issues: Accessibility, Fire Marshal/Building Code (including Indoor Air Quality), Health Code, Title IX, etc. Building Maintenance Issues: Roofs, windows, mechanical and electrical systems, etc. Educational Issues. Deficiencies are noted, with recommended solutions to the deficiency noted where appropriate for consideration in the planning process. A. Regulatory Issues 1. Barrier-Free Accessibility (ADA) With a few exceptions, the School and Community Center buildings are not in compliance with current accessibility requirements (ADA) in several areas. The most glaring violation is the lack of a barrier free route from any building level to any other level. A complete accessible route serving all of the spaces currently used by the school would require at least 2 elevators and 3 wheelchair lifts (or extensive ramping), not including the Stage, Weight Room mezzanine and Small Gym bleachers. It should be noted that the majority of accessibility issues are in the 1917 and 1939 buildings. The following is a summary list of the current non-compliant accessible route issues: a. Main level to lower level (Community Center) not accessible. b. Stage not accessible. c. Weight Room mezzanine not accessible (and wood stair not in compliance). d. Main level to 1917 main level not accessible. e. Music Room not accessible. f. 1917 main level to Small Gym level not accessible. g. Staff Lounge level (old Stage) not accessible. h. Ag CR level not accessible. i. Metal Shop level not accessible.
The following is a summary of additional accessibility issues that should be addressed by any facility project: a. The main building entrance next to the office is not accessible from the sidewalk (steps). b. The building is not accessible from the parking lot on the south and the play areas to the south are not accessible from the building without walking all the way around. c. The majority of the locker / toilet facilities are not accessible. (Community Center toilets and toilets across from the Media Center are compliant). d. The majority of the door hardware in the building is knobs, and should be updated to levers. e. No accessible work station at the Art Room and FACS Room. 2. Fire Marshal / Building Code / Life Safety The upper level of the 1917/1939 building can currently be used only for storage by Fire Marshal order due to both life safety and accessibility concerns. The floor and roof structures of the 1917 and 1939 buildings is predominantly wood framing and decking, and the only sprinklered areas of the building are the 1917 basement and the main hallway (due to open coat hooks). Under current codes the entire building would require a fire sprinkler system due to type of construction and non-fire rated corridors. In addition, the mechanical report addresses the failure to meet ventilation rates required by code in most of the building The following is a summary of the life safety issues that should be addressed by any facility project: a. Current building height, area and type of construction would require a fire sprinkler system throughout. This would alleviate the need for several significant (and more costly) corrections. b. Mechanical ventilation must be addressed in several areas. c. Open coat hooks in the main hallway would not be allowed in new construction (even with a sprinkler system). These should be replaced with lockers. d. The hallway outside of the Metal Shop /Ag CR is a dead end. e. The Cafeteria requires a second exit. f. The FACS Room requires a second exit. g. The single step at the Music Room door is not compliant and creates a trip hazard. 3. Other Regulatory Issues: Minor health code issues were noted in both the School and Community Center kitchens. The Boy s Locker Room is slightly larger than the Girl s Locker Room, which is not compliant with Title IX regulations. The following is a summary of the other regulatory issues that should be addressed by any facility project: a. School kitchen and food storage flooring is VAT (vinyl asbestos tile). Ceramic tile or similar flooring is required by Health Code. b. School kitchen and food storage room ceilings are glue-on acoustic tile. A washable ceiling such as vinyl coated ceiling tiles or painted gypsum board is required by Health Code.
c. The exhaust hood at the School kitchen is not compliant. d. Community Center kitchen flooring is VCT. Ceramic tile or similar flooring is required by Health Code. e. Boy s / Girl s Locker Room sizes. B. Building Maintenance Issues 1. Mechanical / Electrical Systems Per the Mechanical/Electrical assessment, the majority of the building systems are original to the area they are serving, and beyond their typical life expectancy; for some replacement parts are no longer available to adequately service the equipment. In addition, in most cases the systems are not energy efficient. Refer to the Mechanical/Electrical report for additional information. 2. Building Envelope The majority of the exterior building walls are brick in relatively good condition. The lower wall on the east side of the 1917 building has been covered with a concrete/plaster coating and is in poor condition and some of the stone sills at the 1917 building are also in poor condition. There are a few areas of exposed painted concrete block that will require ongoing painting and maintenance. The majority of the roofing is either ballasted or adhered membrane (rubber) roofing at least 10 years old. Regular maintenance work has been required to address miscellaneous leaks. Most windows are 4-track slider windows with single-pane glass in aluminum frames. These are better than the original windows, but not as good as window systems currently available with double-pane insulating glass. The hollow metal window system with panels at the Kindergarten / Preschool area are not energy efficient and require ongoing maintenance and painting. The following wall, roof and window areas should be addressed: a. Consider roof replacement in several areas. b. If 1917 building is retained, permanent wall restoration work will be needed. c. Exposed CMU at Community Center should be covered with insulation and flashing. d. Window wall system at Kindergarten/Preschool should be replaced with a masonry wall with aluminum windows. e. In general, flashing and caulking should be evaluated in more detail, and corrections made as needed as part of any facility project. 3. Interior Finishes and Equipment Interior finishes vary throughout the building, from relatively new flooring and ceilings to original wood and VAT floors / plaster ceilings. Likewise, casework and other equipment vary greatly. The following should be considered. a. Several areas still have VAT flooring. Any project should consider replacement. b. Carpet at Admin and Media is worn.
c. Ceiling grid in the 1974 building seems to be discolored (rusty?) in several areas. Any significant mechanical work will likely require replacement of existing plaster ceilings with lay-in acoustic ceilings. d. Mechanical improvements in the 1954 Classrooms will likely require removal of the existing bookshelves at the exterior wall. 4. Other Maintenance Issues The ramp and doors to the 1917 basement create a security and maintenance issues. A few sidewalks are spalling, probably in part due to salt required to prevent icing on the exterior slopes and steps C. Educational Issues The recent reorganized grade alignment due to the partnering with Brandon Schools has led to a few issues relative to delivery of educational programs. The most noticeable is the use of the Evansville Metal Shop for High School classes. The multiple levels at the junctures of the 1917, 1939 and 1954 buildings causes traffic flow and congestion issues. Most of the current classrooms are below the MDE recommended areas, however appear to be adequate in most areas for the current enrollment. The site size is also below MDE recommendations. Given recent events, the lack of a building security system with controlled access should be noted. We would recommend consideration of security issues be incorporated into any potential project.