New London — Citing rising costs and complicated construction requirements that have already led to delays for school construction projects, the city’s school district has scrapped plans for an arts magnet high school at the Garde Arts Center downtown.

The arts magnet high school instead will be built on the grounds of the northern campus of the future New London High School on Jefferson Avenue, according to Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera.

Jefferson Avenue is one of two locations — the other being Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School — where the district has a $150 million plan to build magnet schools for grades 6-12 and complete the transition into an all-magnet school district.

Rivera said he expects a partnership with the Garde to continue for the arts programs but said the school district already had delayed the high school project for nearly a year while the state Department of Education awaited an arts magnet operations plan.

They could not risk more delays given that there were more elements to the agreement with the Garde that needed to be worked out, he said.

The change in venue for the arts magnet high school allowed the district to receive formal approval from the state Department of Education for the operations plan on Monday.

Despite the fact that the original legislation tied state funds to the Garde project, Rivera said the district has assurances that all or a significant portion of the $31 million for the arts magnet high school project promised will be honored.

The $31 million is in addition to the $98 million approved by the state for the northern campus project.

Rivera said he had spoken with representatives from the state Office of Policy and Management, the state Department of Administrative Services and state Department of Education.

“They clearly stated in person that this is school construction funds to support the arts magnet high school,” Rivera said. “The charge to me is to come back with a proposal to build the arts magnet school and all of the specialty spaces.”

Rivera said those plans already have begun.

State Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell and Susan Weisselberg, deputy secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management each used words of encouragement in a statement issued Thursday.

“We are pleased that the partnership between New London Public Schools and the Garde Arts Center will continue. Locating the Arts Magnet High School on the New London High School campus is a smart plan that will benefit students now and for years to come,” Wentzell said.

“The plan to house the Arts Magnet High School at the New London High School Campus guarantees that the needs of NLPS arts magnet students will always be met,” Weisselberg said.

The plans for an arts magnet high school at the Garde dates back to at least 2013.

The request for funding came from state-appointed Special Master Steven Adamowski and was ushered through the state legislature by retired state Sen. Andrea Stillman.

The plan, to the Garde’s advantage, would have included a 250-seat studio theater.

In a preliminary plan announced as part of the school district's agreement with the Garde in May, the proposal called for the demolition of the three-story Mercer building on State Street and the Meridian building on Meridian Street to make room for classroom space for 200 students and a theater, among other elements.

Rivera said concerns raised by the public about the historical nature of the Mercer building did not go unnoticed and was not the only potential obstacle to securing a plan that would meet state approval.

Early estimates showed the project costs had increased to about $39 million — $8 million more than initially approved by the state.

Rivera said negotiations also were ongoing to finalize agreements with the Garde, which owns the buildings.

The City Council likely would have had to approve a lease agreement between the Garde and the city for the space before a deal was struck.

Steve Sigel, executive director of the Garde, could not be reached for comment Friday.

He has said in the past that the work of satisfying requirements for a school district using state funding and operating a theater run by a private nonprofit was a complicated process.

Phil Michalowski, president of the Garde's board of trustees, said in a statement that, “The Garde Arts Center is proud to have had a role in winning funding for New London’s new regional high school arts program.”

"We are excited that construction will be able to proceed on city-owned property, and look forward to working with the school district, the K-12 arts pathway, and the Arts Magnet High School in the years ahead,” he said in the statement.

Rivera said the arts magnet high school will give students daily access to studios, a theater and other specialty spaces.

In addition to the Garde, Rivera said the school system also is expecting to partner with the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London and Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford as part of the district’s visual and performing arts magnet “pathway.”

g.smith@theday.com