16-05-2025
Chicopee hosts listening session on Barry Elementary School project
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Chicopee community received an update on the current state of the Barry Elementary School project in a listening session Thursday night.
The Anna E. Barry School Building Commission shared with residents that no decisions have been made yet on the location of the school.
Right now, the options being considered are to repair the current building or build a new school on the Garrity Grove site. They're also looking to expand the Szetela Early Childhood School on Macek Drive.
As they study each option.. they're also taking into account what programs to implement and the number of classrooms needed. 'Regardless of what side it's on, you know, it's going to improve the site,' says Architect Bert Gardner. 'They might lose some land, but the amenities that are on either one of these sites will probably be very much improved from what they have now. And in the school. And the city of Chicopee is committed to sharing all of it with the community.'
Gardner says by July, there should be several preliminary design options for residents to review. The final decision on the location of the school is expected to be made in the fall, and will ultimately come down to cost.
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