DRC approves Faulk design plans

DRC approves Faulk design plans

School district putting funds to use

news@theeveningtimes.com

The second of a two-phase facelift for Faulk Elementary was approved by the West Memphis Design Review Commission. School district officials awaited to hear from the Arkansas Department of Education about plans to add a new gym and music room in May. With funds approved last month, the school district wasted no time and presented plans for a new gym and music room at the June DRC meeting.

Construction is already underway at the school on another project. Slated for the first addition a new cafeteria and kitchen are being built now. The single sloping roof slants down on the south side of the school. Faulk was the last school the district built, opening in 1977. The school district hadn’t done much building additions since then, but recently unleashed new plans to update most schools.

Construction on the second Faulk project is expected to start during the fall semester as soon as the first one finishes. Both additions are to the south end of the existing school. The gym and music room will anchor the southeast corner of the building and feature a covered connection to the cafeteria a few steps to the west.

Commissioner Charles Suiter posed a question to designers, “Is there storm shelter part of the project?” When the answer came back no, Suiter noted that none of the new school district upgrades included a storm shelter. In recent years the gym at ASU-Mid South and certain additions in the Marion School District were built with storm shelter specifications in mind.

Ladd Garey of ETFC architects unrolled the plans for the school on Vanderbilt to the DRC. Brick veneer matching the existing school will cover CMU bearing walls with a slanting roof to match the profile of first project like a twin.

“We are doing an almost 11,000 square foot addition on the back,” said Garey.

“The cost of construction is between 2.5 and 3 million dollars. There will be some internal renovations too.

This will also be an area they stage bussed students in so there will be a covered walk to the bus lane.”

After a brief discussion the

DRC unanimously approved the plan.

By John Rech