District moves forward with plans for new gym under Measure EE

By Emily Dubinsky

Staff Writer

Manhattan Beach Unified School District is moving forward with its plans under Measure EE  through its March 1 selection of the Gensler architectural firm along with various community and school discussions held at Costa.

Photos: MBUSD Board selected Gensler

Voters approved Measure EE on Nov. 8, a $39-million bond that will replace the outdated and undersized Fisher Gym. Over 20 firms submitted proposals in response to the district’s December Request for Qualifications, and a panel of district employees, board members and community members chose Gensler architectural firm for the gym’s architectural and engineering design.

The district will pay Gensler a base fee of $1.55 million out of the $39-million bond, plus reimbursable expenses and specialty services, MBUSD Deputy Superindendent Dr. Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said.

“The Board was thrilled that Gensler was the consensus choice,” MBUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews said. “I am confident that Gensler will do an outstanding job of helping us to build a spectacular gymnasium.”

Link: About Gensler

Fisher Gym is 65 years old and, according to Murakawa-Leopard, its infrastructure is in poor condition. With Gensler’s services, the district hopes that the renovated gym will provide Costa with an indoor athletics facility that will meet the needs of the physical education and athletics programs, Murakawa-Leopard said.

In their proposal, Gensler’s architects said that the upper portion of the gym would include a new center court with 2,000 seats, four new practice courts, an event deck looking over the football field, concessions and restrooms. The architects also proposed two new weight rooms, lockers, practice rooms and additional classrooms for the space.

The proposed features of the lower portion of the gym include a film room and training and team rooms for football, soccer, track and field, lacrosse and cross country.

The district is working to solicit community and school feedback to determine the most necessary additions to the gym and incorporate the ideas into Gensler’s plans. A community forum will be held on April 4 in order to receive feedback.

“We will be working hard to make sure that our plans meet the community’s needs,” Murakawa-Leopard said. “My primary goal is to ensure that we have a new gym facility that provides a high-quality space to support our programs and provide a place where students can play and compete.”

Link: More Information About Measure EE

Once finalized and approved by the MBUSD Board of Trustees, the district will submit the plan to the Division of the State Architect. Upon approval from the state, the construction process will begin. The district hopes to begin construction in the Spring of 2019, Murakawa-Leopard said.

“The new gym will change the athletic experience at Mira Costa,” MBUSD President Jennifer Cochran said. “Things will be a little disrupted during construction, but I believe it will be worth the hassle for the end product.”