Posted: Jan. 20, 2010

A preliminary evaluation of the Wauwatosa School District's administrative offices shows the 53-year-old Fisher Building could cost as much as $6.24 million to repair and remodel, according to a study by Eppstein Uhen Architects.

An alternative plan to demolish Fisher, 12121 W. North Ave., and replace it with a smaller building was estimated at $6.43 million.

Gary Woodward, architect at Eppstein Uhen, said the structure has been loyally cared for, but many parts - like the windows, roof and boilers - have exceeded their life expectancy.

Superintendent Phil Ertl said he will use information in the study as he creates a recommendation for the School Board regarding which facility option to pursue.

Underused, inefficient

Constructed in 1957, the 62,100-square-foot Fisher Building houses administrative offices on the upper level and the Tosa School of the Trades and the School Board meeting room on the lower level.

However, space that used to be leased out to the Harwood Medical Clinic has been vacant for seven years; attempts to find a new tenant have proved unsuccessful, as did an attempted sale of the building and its 5 acres, Ertl said.

Even the portions in use are underused, Woodward said. A building nearly half Fisher's size could accommodate all district departments and the charter school.

As a whole, Fisher is inefficient, Woodward said. The exterior walls have no insulation. Original windows are sealed but poorly insulated. Its masonry lacks control joints, meaning the bricks don't have room to expand or contract with changes in temperature. As a result, the walls crack.

The roof he rated in "poor to fair" condition. The building's doors, replaced in the 1970s, were deemed in better shape.

Much of Fisher's electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems are original and nearing or past their expected lifespan. That means the district may be paying more to maintain the equipment than the systems are worth, he said.

And though the building accommodates handicapped individuals, Woodward concluded that it would not pass a compliance study with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

New offices a 'hard sell'

Building a new administrative facility could be unpopular with residents, Ertl said.

"I think that's a hard sell," he said.

But he suggested new administrative offices could be paired with a new athletic facility, either on the current Fisher site or near Longfellow Middle School or Underwood Elementary School.

"I think there's a need in our community for something like a field house," he said.

If the district ends up keeping the Fisher Building, Ertl said, the space must be better used.

Neither option would necessarily require a referendum, Director of Business Services John Mack said.

About $700,000 is on hand from the 1980s sale of Hawthorne Junior High School, and some money could be taken from the district's fund balance.

The rest likely would be paid for with 20- to 30-year bonds, Mack said, requiring an annual payment between $600,000 and $750,000.