2 Glen Ellyn panels to hear Glenbard West expansion plan
Plans for a 3-story, 28,000-square-foot science wing addition to Glenbard West High School go before two Glen Ellyn advisory panels this week.
The project will get its first formal public review Wednesday by the village's architectural review commission, which will evaluate the exterior appearance of the proposed addition. On Thursday, the plan commission will take up zoning variations.
The village board has final authority on granting approvals, and is expected to consider the project next month.
The building expansion would be the first in 53 years at Glenbard West, District 87's oldest school. The school was built in 1922, and had subsequent additions in 1927, 1930, 1938, 1951 and 1963 as enrollment grew.
Officials say the latest add-on, to be built on the east side of campus, will provide needed instructional space.
“The goal of the project is not to increase the capacity of the school, rather relieve overcrowding,” Rob Wroble, senior project manager with Legat Architects, said at a recent community informational session. “The school is very overcrowded, and there's a lot of classrooms that are undersized.”
Plans call for the construction of four chemistry and four physics classrooms on the second and third floors of the new building, along with prep labs and collaboration areas. The first floor will have a photo lab, and mechanical and receiving areas, next to an arts courtyard. The roof will be an outdoor learning area.
Once the addition is built, the school plans to convert six existing science labs on the third and fourth floors into regular classrooms. Plans also call for the installation of an elevator.
The project cost, estimated to be between $12.5 million and $13.4 million, is being funded with part of a $35 million loan voters authorized by referendum in March 2014. The Glenbard West addition is one part of a 10-year, $100 million facilities improvement plan that includes science lab updates throughout the district, air conditioning for Glenbard West and East, fixes to roofs and parking lots, and safety and security improvements to building entrances.