Barrington gives Dist. 220 the go-ahead on new HQ
Barrington Area Unit District 220 has a green light to pursue work on interior renovations at a vacant corporate building that'll become its new administration headquarters on Main Street in the village.
As part of a package of other agenda items Monday night, the Barrington village board approved a special-use request so District 220 can operate in the 20,000-square-foot PepsiCo Inc. building at 515 W. Main, across the street from Barrington High School. The district approved construction bids expected to be about $1.7 million.
Thomas Campagna, District 220's director of buildings and grounds, said the interior construction will begin as soon as a building permit is obtained from the village.
"We're just prepping the site right now to get started," Campagna said after the village board's vote.
District 220 spent about $1.1 million last summer to buy the building that most recently was used for PepsiCo's Gatorade division. The structure had a research-and-development zoning classification when it was sold, which is why the Barrington village board had to grant the special use for District 220 to operate the central office there.
Vacant for a few years, the PepsiCo structure is expected to provide more space for administration employees and offer room for large gatherings of educators for professional development, as well as more parking, district officials said.
About 50 employees will move from the current headquarters at 310 James St. in Barrington to the Main Street facility by the high school. Campagna said it's hoped the move occurs by May.
Lombard-based architect Gregory Stahler has been working with District 220 on the PepsiCo project. He said about 75 percent of the structure already is usable.
"The furniture that was there is relocated and a majority of it is coming back in the building," Stahler said outside the village board chambers. "So, the district is able to reuse it. They got a building that was fully furnished."
District 220's James Street central office - tucked in an area with a mix of houses and businesses in Barrington - lacks parking and work space, officials said.
At the PepsiCo building, plans call for construction of a secure entrance, new carpeting, the building of false walls in open areas, board room mechanical upgrades and fresh paint. Stahler said a major project will be building two new restrooms that meet the Americans With Disabilities Act.