Architect thinks best option for Russell is a renovated school

MOSCOW — A local architecture firm believes the best option for the old Russell Elementary building in Moscow is to renovate the structure so it can once again be used as a school.

Drew Davis, an architect with the firm Knit, presented his team’s analysis of the closed down school to the Moscow School Board on Wednesday evening.

Russell Elementary was closed last year because of the century-old building’s extensive maintenance issues, including the lack of ADA accessibility features.

Knit studied three possibilities: Renovating the existing building into a new school, tearing the school down and building a new one on the same site, or repurposing the building for other uses.

Davis said his team’s preferred option is to renovate the existing building to make it a school again.

Among the major changes would be constructing two additional spaces onto the existing building. One of those additions would house administrative offices. The other would house the cafeteria, a gymnasium and an elevator to access the other floors of the school.

According to Knit, the interior of the school must undergo a major overhaul. The HVAC and electrical system will have to be replaced. Asbestos and lead paint will have to be removed. ADA accessible upgrades will have to be made throughout the school, including in the restrooms and the library.

The new library would be moved to the center of the school.

Outside, Davis said the bottom of the hill that the school sits on would be used for parking. A new drop-off and pick-up space would be constructed in the back of the school to make those tasks safer for parents and children, he said.

Other parts of the building are still structurally sound, Davis said, including the brickwork and the foundation.

“We feel strongly this existing building still has a lot of life left in it,” he said.

Davis said the improvements would add approximately 12,000 square feet of space to the school and increase capacity for students.

Davis said he will present the cost figures to the board at a later date.

Moscow School District Superintendent Shawn Tiegs requested that Knit provide this analysis, but he said the school board does not have to pursue this or any other options Davis presented. Tiegs said the district could sell the property, too.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.