Where will playground go at Howe?

Katie Bicek and Robb Luckow review plans for the renovation of Howe
School during a community meeting on Monday, Sept. 17. Both have children
who will be attending Howe next year as third graders. (Photo by
Tesha M. Christensen)

This graph provides details of the Howe renovation project. Construction
will begin in January and it will be completed by August 2013 in time for
the start of the 2013-14 school year.

Community members debate pros and cons of rebuilding playground at existing location

by Tesha M. Christensen

Where should the playground at Howe School be located?

That was the subject of debate during an informational meeting on the Howe project held on Sept. 17, 2012 at Hiawatha River Community School.

Right now the school district plans to rebuild the playground exactly where it was before, behind the school building next to 43rd Ave. The playground was ripped out a few years ago while the school sat empty and the district contemplated selling it.

However, rebuilding it will require a variance from the city, which requires a 20-foot setback from the street.

Paul Mays of Miller Dunwiddie  Architecture explained that the curbing around the old playground still remains. Replacing that and performing the needed ground work would cost an estimated $40-50,000.

“We’re trying to take advantage of the concrete border,” said Clyde Kane, Minneapolis Public School (MPS) manager of design and construction. “If it goes someplace else, we will be hardpressed to find the budget to move it.” The total budget for the project (including construction, architect fees and other “soft costs”) is $8 million.

By adhering to the city’s setback, the school would lose roughly half the playground space.

There is also space set aside in the back of the school building for hard surface play such as hopscotch and four square. On the east side will be an employee parking lot, an enclosed trash area, and space for delivery trucks.

In the current plan, the green space for the soccer/ball fields remains as is.

Some attendees at the Sept. 17 meeting voiced their support for retaining the playing fields as they are and rebuilding the playground where it was. A few pointed out that the soccer field is used by not only school teams, but community ones, as well. “The need for fields in the community is very strong,” noted MSP Area B Community Liaison Kristen Berg Thompson.

Other community members expressed concern about the playground, and how it is used outside school hours.

“We’re not trying to talk against building the playground. We want to see good management,” said Rolf Almquist, who lives across the street from the proposed playground location. He suggested that security cameras be installed, and a management plan created by the school district.

The playground location will be evaluated by the Minneapolis Planning Commission during a public hearing on Oct. 1. Also at that time the commission will review the conditional use permit requested by the school district for the renovation. 

The permit process is required because the district is remodeling a school building that was closed, explained Kane.

RENOVATION DETAILS

After being closed in 2005, Howe will reopen for the 2013-14 school year as a dual campus with Hiawatha. Hiawatha will house the younger grades, and Howe will take third, fourth and fifth graders.

There will be a total of 16 classrooms in the reopened Howe building, according to May. The maximum capacity for the school will be 285 students, and in the first year it will start with between 150 and 180.

There will be three third-grade classes, two fourth-grade classes and two fifth-grade classes, pointed out Hiawatha Principal Deb Regnier.

The classrooms at Howe will solve the space crunch at Hiawatha. Until then, Hiawatha lacks enough classrooms, according to Regnier.

Right now, there is a split class with both fourth and fifth graders, and the school has implemented “Art on a Cart” in order to accommodate an additional kindergarten class.

“We are packed to the gills here,” said Regnier. This is a year of transition before the space issues are resolved, she added.

Before Howe is reopened, the guts of the school will be reinvigorated, according to May. “We are bringing this school into the 21st century,” he said.

Air conditioning will be installed, along with a new HVAC system and electrical system. More insulation, new windows and a new roof will make the school more energy-efficient, as will new lighting. All of the flooring and finishes in the building will be replaced and repainted.

The stormwater and sanitary sewer will be now be separated so that the stormwater can be filtered on site. This sustainable system will be installed in the southwest corner of the property. Once the tanks are buried, the area will be resodded.

White boards, smart boards, projectors and computers will be placed in each classroom. Howe will match Hiawatha in several ways, including the designation of “learning zones” defined by flooring.

“We have been on a long journey with Howe school. Everyone is very excited to see it opening again,” stated Minneapolis Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy.

“We are going to need your support through the whole program,” Kane told community members and parents.