Norfolk City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to approve a $211 million design and construction agreement to rebuild Maury High School.
The agreement allows a group of developers to design and construct a new high school building, various sports fields and an $11 million swimming complex.
Tommy Smigiel, City Council member and principal of Granby High School, said the plan to rebuild the school was not a wish list project for an affluent part of the city.
“It wasn’t a wish. It’s a ‘Have to,’” Smigiel said, referencing the aging building. “Our students deserve safe and healthy buildings.”
The approved agreement does not include funding for an alternate proposal that would have demolished Ghent School and built an $11 million, 4,000-seat football field in its place. Plans to close Ghent school as one of 10 proposed Norfolk Public Schools properties to be shuttered have been met with opposition from parents and other community members.
Norfolk City Manager Pat Roberts said the Norfolk School Board would need to decide whether to close Ghent School before a discussion occurred about the future of the property. He said the Tuesday vote by City Council would keep the project on track to open in time for the 2028-29 school year.
The design and construction agreement must still be approved by the Norfolk School Board, which is scheduled to vote on the matter Wednesday.
Other City Council members voiced their support of the approved $211 million plan, which has a guaranteed maximum price of $220 million to account for potential cost increases as construction commences.
“I’m very proud of this moving forward,” said council member Courtney Doyle. “It’s a big milestone for our community.”
Council member John “JP” Paige voted for the plan but asked that City Council be equitable in its future renovations and reconstruction of schools in marginalized communities, such as Booker T. Washington High School.
The existing Maury building is more than a century old and suffering from numerous structural issues like water erosion, leaks and rust on the exterior, according to architects and previous Pilot reporting.
The School Board approved initial Maury design plans in March.
The design preserves the original Maury building, and City Council must still choose what to do with the structure.
Smigiel asked the public to continue to pressure state lawmakers to create a funding model using state funds for school construction, saying Virginia placed an unfair responsibility on localities to fund millions in renovations and rebuilds.
The Virginia General Assembly approved legislation this year that would have allowed localities to levy a 1% sales tax surcharge to fund school construction if approved in a voter referendum. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed that bill, saying while school construction is a worthy cause, the proposal meant some localities could have seen an overall 8% sales tax. He said the money needed for school construction could be found through other means.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, [email protected]
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