Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Architect pitches firm on multi-purpose complex

Prescott's School Board discussed a proposed multi-purpose complex with Jerry Hollensworth at a special meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Hollensworth is a partner in the architectural firm Trull and Hollensworth of Camden.

The multi-purpose complex is one of a number of projects the board wants to undertake to improve facilities within the Prescott School District.

The main part, though, would be the complex. It would be built where the old field house now is.

The complex would provide a field house for the Curley Cub football teams, a distance learning lab and the family and consumer science facilities, along with classrooms.

Other projects include making repairs to the roof at Prescott Elementary over the first grade portion, while upgrading the air conditioning in the fifth and sixth grade building at McRae Middle School.

Hollensworth told the board about his firm's experience working with school districts.

He said about 30 percent of the firm's work is with schools, and has worked extensively with the Gurdon School District on several projects in recent years.

The firm, he said, will be the project manager throughout, and not pass the responsibilities to someone else.

Hollensworth said he would be present at the public meeting, if the board wanted, to discuss the building project and make a presentation on the architectural side of the situation.

The company, he said, would work on a contingency basis, based on the tax referendum. Should the board choose another architect, Trull and Hollensworth will not bill the district for the preliminary work done.

As time in a concern, he said, full drawings won't be ready by the time the meeting is held, but he could have a blocked out "footprint" of the building done to help show what the board has envisioned for the district.

According to Hollensworth, the firm will hire out the engineering part, and will use reputable companies the firm has dealt with on past projects.

Locally, he said, the firm did the work on the Hamilton-Blakely Senior Adult Center.

"We try to stay with the same team of consultants," he said. "We won't hand the duties off to others to oversee the project. We'll stay on it all the way through."

As it stands, Superintendent Hyacinth Deon said, there are no useable empty rooms in the district for expansion.