The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
ADA projects to start at THS
TORRINGTON >> A series of different projects at Torrington High School designed to bring the institution into better compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act are set to begin in the coming months, after the Board of Education awarded a contract for the work last week.
Burlington Construction, a Torrington-based company, was awarded a $543,226 contract for the project last Wednesday evening.
According to Director of Facilities David Bascetta, work will be done in a number of interior areas of the school — science labs, the kitchen, restrooms, classrooms — to make them handicapped-accessible.
For example, safety bars and appropriate sinks will be installed in boys and girls lavatories, Bascetta said, and a lift will be installed in the front of the school auditorium to provide access to the stage.
New fixtures will also be installed in the auditorium, Bascetta said, as will new cabinets in some rooms.
A new elevator, previously mentioned as part of the ADA compliance effort underway in the district, has been broken out into a separate project, Bascetta said. He’s planning to apply for state funding for that initiative in the near future.
The hope is to have the awarded work completed by December, Bascetta said, with construction to begin, if all goes according to plan, during April vacation and continue over the summer.
The district has been planning efforts to bring the school in compliance with the 1990 law since 2012, Bascetta said, after meeting with the state to establish a plan to bring it into compliance with the federal legislation.
Approximately 70 percent of the $543,226 cost of the work will be eligible for reimbursement, Bascetta said, although the exact number will not be known until the state conducts further review.
“We’re hoping that the whole amount will be reimbursable, but you never
know,” said Bascetta.
Handicapped spaces in the parking lot near the gym lobby were previously installed as part of this effort, Bascetta said, as were new sidewalks in the area. Appropriate furniture was also brought into some classrooms, Bascetta said.
Burlington Construction has previously been tasked with a number of projects in Torrington, including putting new cupolas on the Carriage House in Coe Park and the renovation of the city library.