Springfield Township School Board retains firm for cafeteria expansion

By Mark D. Marotta 21st Century Media News Service

The school board voted 8-0 in favor of hiring the Lancaster-based firm. Board member Ben Rayer was absent.

Speaking after the meeting, Superintendent Nancy Hacker explained that Gilbert Architects had offered to provide its services at a range of between $45,000 and $53,000.

The board vote followed a presentation by Thomas Gilbert, principal of the architectural firm, and Danielle Hoffer, its vice president and educational planner.

Additionally, board member James Taylor remarked that the Erdenheim project had been discussed at a property committee meeting on Dec. 19, at which time three architectural firms were present.

Hacker reported to the board that the committee felt strongly that Gilbert Architects had stepped up to the plate.

She recounted that the district had earlier developed plans for Erdenheim, with considerable community input. However, Hacker added, the project was shelved because of severe water infiltration problems at the school, which the board determined needed to be addressed first. Also, the type of project that had been proposed originally was more than the district needed to invest in, she said.

However, Hacker described the elementary schools current six lunch periods as excessive, and she also said that there were crowded conditions in the cafeteria. Those were the primary needs to be addressed, Hacker added.

In his introductory remarks, Gilbert said he had started his firm in 1988 and that it had worked on school construction projects totaling over $2.1 billion.

Hoffer said Gilbert Architects had worked on 44 projects in 11 school districts in Montgomery County, among them Glenside, Cheltenham and Wyncote elementary schools in Cheltenham Township, as well as projects in the Colonial and Upper Moreland school districts and Upper Dublin High School. Continued...

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Springfield Township School Board retains firm for cafeteria expansion