Farmington Council Commits To Just Renovating 1928 FHS Building

FARMINGTON, CT — The town's top elected body this week refined the mission for the group charged with planning the renovation of what will be left of the old Farmington High School site.

Currently, the town is about to break ground on a new Farmington High School sometime this fall, as part of a$135.6 million building project approved by voters in June 2021.

What to due with the current — and, eventually, old FHS — has been the charge of the town-formed 1928 Building Committee, named so for the year the FHS facility first opened on Monteith Drive.

At a special virtual meeting of the Farmington Town Council Tuesday, members unanimously voted to finalize the charge of the committee, which had been mulling two options for post-FHS development.

The now lone, board-approved option, according to recently unveiled meeting minutes, incorporates redevelopment of just the portion of the school built in 1928.

In recent months, the committee was concurrently mulling two options: 1) Development of the 1928 building and 2) development of the 1928 building and a portion of the building built in 1952.

Tuesday, the council voted to eliminate the 1952 option from the committee's charge, deferring to a recommendation by the project's architect.

Farmington High currently consists of several buildings linked together to form one school, with the original site being built in 1928, with additions made, respectively, in 1952, 1964 and 1978.

Those other three additions are now eliminated, with 1964 and 1978 already off the committee's radar prior to Tuesday's vote.

The move would still preserve the site's most historic building and the original FHS.

As for how the town will utilize the 1928 site, it has yet to be decided as have any potential cost estimates for the renovation.

According to the committee, potential options for use include:

• Satellite municipal offices such as probate, recreation and social services offices, among others.

• Community usage in the form of meeting space, event space, non-profit use and art and business incubator use.

• Gym space for basketball, pickleball, volleyball and additional recreational programs.

• Space for additional town storage.

With the town now committed to only renovating the historic, 1928 building, the council also unanimously approved a timeline to commit fully to the renovation.

Farmington Town Manager Kathleen Blonski said at the meeting tentative plans call for: A community meeting on the building in November; Town council conceptual reviews of the site in December; Community tours and presentations in February/March; and a referendum vote in April 2023 in conjunction with the municipal budget.

For the minutes of the special Farmington Town Council meeting Sept. 27, visit this link.

For more information on the 1928 Building Committee, click on this link.

From Aug. 2: 'Farmington High Project Marching Along'