More improvements proposed for Stevenson High

Renovations of Stevenson High School's Studio Theatre and administration building are among the improvement projects school officials are considering for 2009.

A second phase of improvements at the west auditorium, which already is being renovated, also is planned for the Lincolnshire campus. Officials are weighing replacing the school's carpeting, too.

The school board's site and facilities committee discussed these and other potential projects during a meeting this week. No formal decisions were made.

The biggest - and potentially costliest - project being considered would be replacing the carpeting.

The school has about 100,000 square yards of walking area that receives heavy foot traffic, which Stevenson spokesman Jim Conrey said rivals some airports.

Because of the scope of the job, carpet replacement would have to be done over a 10-year period, officials said.

The cost of the proposed undertaking isn't yet known. The committee said the board should seek bids for the project.

The continuation of improvements to the west auditorium and the renovation of the Studio Theatre also would be costly.

The stage and seating areas of the auditorium are being renovated now. The second phase of the project would focus on the backstage area and would create more storage space for band instruments, props and other equipment, Conrey said.

The proposed Studio Theatre improvements could be a bit more radical. Officials are considering turning the space, which resembles a traditional theater now, into a setting that doesn't have locked-in seating or a set stage area, Conrey said.

In such a theater, the seats and stage can be reconfigured to provide a variety of settings for performances.

"Right now that (theater) is pretty constrained," Conrey said. "They can't move around a lot."

The auditorium and theater renovations could cost between $750,000 and $1 million, officials estimated.

The administration building could get an additional conference room, training-room space and offices, among other changes. A more environmentally friendly geothermal heating and cooling system could be installed, too.

Such systems typically use pumps to bring the earth's natural heat into a building during winter months and send excess building heat into the ground during the summer.

"The geothermal (concept) is very fascinating," Conrey said.

Those improvements could cost between $300,000 and $425,000.

Although a few other proposals were supported by the committee, some were rejected for 2009. For example, the panel opted not to move forward right now with a plan to replace the lights in the field house or to renovate a multipurpose room that's been used for storage recently.