CH West Auditorium Becomes A Reality

The Cherry Hill Board of Education voted to accept the High School West Bids on July 24, 2001. I was delighted to be in the audience that evening. It is fair to say that I left the building ecstatic about the outcome.

Let`s begin with the actual bid information. The Auditorium will be built for $5,809,240. All of the components that were expressed to be necessary for quality programs are included in the facility. The building includes 1000 seats, an orchestra pit, a new scene workshop, a new choral room, and a production classroom, which doubles as a dressing room. The renovation of the existing band room will also occur. Construction will begin in September 2001 with a planned opening about October 2002.

The construction industry continues to be a very difficult industry to work in. Contractors are overwhelmed with their current workloads. Therefore higher cost are the norm. In my opinion the district has negotiated the best possible price and the best possible building for that price.

That did not happen easily. Numerous individuals, including the architect, engineer, construction manager, High School West staff and students, District administration personnel, Board of Education members, Bond Projects Committee members, and others talked countless hours during the past eighteen months. At times the talks were emotional but they always moved forward. I can not express enough my sincerest gratitude for a job well done. I believe everyone has learned valuable lessons in perseverance, commitment, and resolution. The pride and respect that I have for all of those involved is immense.

I must however point to a few people whom I believe to be the key to getting us to this point. About six weeks ago I was given an opportunity to view the design documents for the facility. I remember sitting in my kitchen and admiring the quality of the drawings that were produced by Becica Associates, the Districts architect and engineer. It was also apparent to me, after being involved for many months, that the project had endured another design change. Careful examination of the drawings also showed that the required programmatic needs were kept intact. Becica Associates went the extra mile (and then some) on the West Auditorium Project. I will likely use their level of determination as my new measuring stick for perseverance. Mr. J. Becica and Mr. Steve Becica, and their staff should be commended for a superb job.

I must also acknowledge the leadership of Dr. Morton Sherman. As I stated earlier many of the conversations about the auditorium were filled with emotion. I remember my concerns about the potential cost of the project, and any impact that could have on other projects. The District had the complex task of balancing emotion, with programmatic needs, and the budget. The balancing act achieved by the District reminds me of the Great Wallenda`s walk between the foul poles of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The project at times faltered left, then right, but it never fell. The credit for the project not falling must go to Dr. Sherman. His ability to consistently move forward in a positive way and his willingness to maintain strong lines of communication were critical to any possible success. Through strong leadership he provided others an opportunity to reach this point. That type of leadership was absolutely critical to our success.

I extend my sincerest thanks to all involved in this remarkable effort. I can`t wait for opening night!

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Author: Bob Russo, The Cherry Hill Connection