GREENWICH, CT — The community on Wednesday gathered at Old Greenwich School to officially break ground on much-needed upgrades to the building.Town and school officials, along with students from OGS, and even Mack The Dolphin, the OGS mascot, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony which marked the start of a project years in the making.OGS was built in 1902, and there have been additions to the building in 1950, 1957, and 1995, with some renovations in 1993.The building has suffered from poor ventilation, sewa...
GREENWICH, CT — The community on Wednesday gathered at Old Greenwich School to officially break ground on much-needed upgrades to the building.
Town and school officials, along with students from OGS, and even Mack The Dolphin, the OGS mascot, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony which marked the start of a project years in the making.
OGS was built in 1902, and there have been additions to the building in 1950, 1957, and 1995, with some renovations in 1993.
The building has suffered from poor ventilation, sewage problems, flooding issues, a lack of a secure entryway and fire protection, and notably ADA noncompliance over the years.
The school was the subject of a complaint filed in 2021 with the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights over its lack of accessibility.
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Of note, construction will bring the school into compliance with 2010 ADA standards; create a new secure front entryway; install a new building-wide sprinkler system and HVAC system; address sewer and drainage issues; replace old roofing; build a new kindergarten addition; and provide a new playground and interior courtyard.
The project will be done in phases, with all work expected to be completed by January 2028.
In total, the town has approved $47,051,000 in funding for the project.
"We're thrilled to reach this important milestone for the OGS renovation. We have a long way to go until this project is done but are thankful for all the support across town to get us to this point," said Old Greenwich School Building Committee Chair James Waters in an emailed statement to Patch. "The building committee members deserve a tremendous thanks for working through all the details the past 30 months; without them we wouldn't be here today. It's been a true team effort and I feel privileged to be part of this exceptional team."
Waters noted that those involved with the project have been "moving forward with a purpose."
"That purpose is all the kids and staff who call this building home. With this renovation, Old Greenwich School will play a vital role in the broader community for decades to come," he said.
First Selectman Fred Camillo, who was in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony, mentioned the event during Thursday's Board of Selectmen meeting.
"That was the most well-attended groundbreaking I've ever seen," Camillo said. "It was nice to see. It's an example of people working together."
More information on the project can be found here.