School District Unveils Conceptual Architectural Rendering for New Administrative Building This conceptual rendering shows the front of the School District’s new/replacement administrative building, with the main entrance facing the corner of Main and Academy Streets in downtown Canton. The community is getting its first look at a conceptual design for the Cherokee County School District’s proposed new/replacement administrative building in downtown Canton. As part of the due diligence work that the Cherokee County School Board requested in preparation for its Feb. 5, 2015 School Board Meeting when the Board will vote on proceeding with the new/replacement administrative building project, CCSD staff, with KRH Architects, has finished a conceptual architectural rendering. The conceptual rendering shows the front of the new/replacement administrative building, with the main entrance facing the corner of Main and Academy Streets. “The conceptual design, as I committed to Cherokee County Historical Society leaders in November 2014, incorporates architectural details and design cues from the Building A facade, with a focus on creating a building that both nods to downtown’s past and looks to its future… much like the historic architecture-inspired buildings constructed in recent years in downtown Canton,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank R. Petruzielo said. Historic-inspired details of the design include:      The original white marble diamonds in the current facade of Building A are those pictured in the facade of the new/replacement building design; The original white marble steps in front of Building A will be transformed into benches on either side of the main entrance in the new/replacement building design; The red color of the brick in the new/replacement building design is the same shade as those used in the current buildings (unfortunately, the original bricks are not in reusable shape for construction purposes); Artifacts that have been preserved, such as the original school bell from Building B, will be incorporated into the exterior or interior design of the new/replacement administrative building; and, Landscaping, wrought-iron fencing, sidewalk patterns and other exterior details surrounding the new/replacement administrative building will blend in with downtown’s existing “streetscapes” design. In addition to completing the rendering, CCSD staff also has gathered the following economic development-related information: STAFFING In addition to 62 employees already on CCSD’s downtown Canton campus in Buildings A and C, the new/replacement administrative building would allow the return of about 90 additional staff to the campus (including all of Financial Management now at Keeter Road and non-classroom Special Education staff now at Buffington ES and at various schools, as well as other support staff now at other offices and at various schools)… for a total of about 152 employees. The new/replacement administrative building also would expand professional development capacity, with an expected 50-100 employees from throughout the County coming to the facility on a regular basis. PARKING The new/replacement building design calls for 219 spaces (plus four handicapdesignated spaces) not including the large lot at the corner of Archer and West Marietta Streets that CCSD currently allows the City of Canton to use for public parking at no charge. Of those new spaces, there are 19 public spaces (plus two handicapdesignated spaces) along Academy Street that anyone – visitors to CCSD offices or to other downtown Canton locations – would be permitted to use at no charge. “As I have previously stated, while economic development is not our mission, we are the No. 1 employer in the City of Canton and Cherokee County, and understand the impact our departure from downtown Canton would have both in terms of the immediate loss of patronage for businesses and in the significant negative impact on real estate,” Dr. Petruzielo said.