Norwich – There won’t be any scaffolding decorating Norwich Free Academy this summer, but the campus will be busy with about $600,000 worth of capital projects that might include adding air conditioning to Alumni Gym.

Harry Hansen, director of facilities at NFA, presented several proposed projects to the Board of Trustees last week, highlighted by roof replacement and ventilation work planned for the Tirrell Building cafeteria roof and Alumni gym.

Head of School David Klein said NFA officials tried to keep the summer projects to under $600,000, and Hansen’s initial list totaled $575,750. But when trustee Chairman Theodore Phillips asked if the roof replacement and ventilation work on the Alumni Gym included air conditioning, and found out it did not, he asked the board to add up to $40,000 to the budget, for a total of $615,000. The board agreed.

Hansen said air conditioning could cost $30,000 to $40,000 and agreed to obtain prices for the work and to contact Norwich Public Utilities for possible rebates on energy efficient systems. Without the air conditioning, replacing the gym roof was estimated to cost $165,000 and the new air handling system for heating and fresh air circulation was estimated at $80,000.

Phillips said that amenity would allow increased use of the gym during the summer and would improve conditions for late June student activities – especially Class Night just before graduation.

Another major project this summer will be improving the handicapped accessibility to the Cranston Building for $80,000. Hansen said the interior chair lift is obsolete and is “jumpy and jittery.” He said it’s near impossible to get parts for repairs.

The Cranston project will include a new exterior handicapped ramp designed to aesthetically match the historic campus architecture to replace the plain aluminum ramp and will include two interior ramps. Hansen said students can only ride the lift upstairs to classrooms, and cannot ride downstairs to NFA offices, including the career services office.

The project also was described as a potential “bridge” to a future time when an elevator might be proposed for the building.

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