Checking out Davies Tech
State leaders visit Davies as school seeks funds for modernized facilities
State leaders tour facilities of local tech high school
LINCOLN – School and construction officials representing William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School on Wednesday afternoon demonstrated to state leaders the school’s job skills training as they dseek renovations or new construction that could cost anywhere between $20 million and $100 million.
House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello and House Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi toured Davies alongside members of the Department of Labor and Training and DLT Director Scott R. Jensen. They visited the school’s electrical, pre-engineering, machine technology, and biomanufacturing wings located within the two buildings at Davies.
While one of the Davies buildings was built in the 1990s, the older of the two was built in 1970 and is “at or near the end of its useful life,” according to Marc Zawatsky, program manager for ABM Group LLC of Warwick. Thus, he said, the need exists to evolve Davies so students can be ready for the job market of the future.
Zawatsky, who oversees development and facilitates the Davies master plan, estimated that construction of a brand-new 220,000 square foot building on the Davies campus would cost in the area of $100 million. To simply “maintain the status quo” and address the existing deferred maintenance issues at the nearly-50-yearold structure, as well as to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and to bring the building up to code, would cost $20 million.
Thus, Zawatsky said, they are in the process of new conceptual designs, which were shown to state leaders on Wednesday, and are next to go before the Rhode Island Department of Education. Once Davies officials have achieved their checklist, he said, they would come back to the state seeking a 2020 referendum on the capital expenditures.
If all goes according to plan and voters approve the matter in 2020, construction would be ongoing from 2021 through 2023, school officials said.
Zawatsky explained that the early conceptual view of the educational programs using 21st century models of vocational education classrooms would be integrated into a new learning center built on the rear corner of Davies’ campus near the ballfield.
Ashley Prester, project manager with DBVW Architects of Providence, said the objective was to identify Davies’ “educational flow,” by acknowledging underutilized space.
The shop at Davies, Prester said, is “doing great things” but is situated in the 1970 building at Davies. A fresh space with a fresh start would “enhance daily use” by allowing every freshman to participate in the programs.
“Why not put your best foot forward to help in their career choice?” Prester inquired.
Fifty percent of the equipment in the new space would be brought over while the other half would be replaced. This would give students an opportunity to receive their certifications by creating 10 to 12 new work stations.
The biomanufacturing wing, meanwhile, is now “very cramped,” Prester said, but relocating the program to a new area would free up space and give the students more room to work.
While Mattiello said he “see(s) the value in a new modern building,” he did not express whether he was in favor or opposed to the multi-million-dollar referendum.
Wednesday’s tour of the Davies campus was arranged by David Chenevert, executive director of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, to “demonstrate the job skills training the school is providing to students to prepare them for the new manufacturing economy,” state officials said.
This year’s state budget included $3.6 million for upgrades at Davies as a means to bolster Rhode Island’s manufacturing industry through workforce investment, officials added.