Town Council looks at Westlake Academy expansion options

The town of Westlake is looking at options for upgrading facilities at Westlake Academy.

At the Westlake Town Council meeting on Feb. 28, town officials discussed proposed updates to the Sam & Margarette Lee Arts and Sciences Center as well as to sports facilities.

Council members discussed three possible expansion plans for the Arts and Sciences Center provided by Bennett Partners, an architecture firm based in Fort Worth. Discussion centered around the six portable buildings located on campus, which were added in 2011 and 2013 to give the school additional classroom and flex space. Council members debated the pros and cons of each proposal and whether or not to keep portable classrooms on campus in some capacity.

The city’s final recommendation was to look at expanding the arts and science center as a three-story building with a bigger footprint. This recommendation would allow Westlake Academy to possibly replace its six portable classrooms with a permanent structure. A fourth proposal was requested by council members, and Bennett Partners said a new proposal could be presented to Town Council within 60 days.

“In my heart, as a resident, I’d love to see all those portables gone,” Council Member Alesa Belvedere said. “As a council member, there’s a responsibility that we have to manage and steward properly. I have to look at all of it.”

Troy Meyer, Westlake director of facilities and public works, explained details of proposed upgrades to the school’s athletic facilities, which include remodels of the gymnasium and fieldhouse as well as the addition of athletic fields and a 280-meter track. Meyer said building the proposed athletic fields on campus property is challenging due to changes in elevation and drainage. Fitting the new fields within the property boundaries will also be difficult, he said.

“The topography of our campus is very challenging,” Meyer said.

According to the Feb. 28 presentation, $2.1 million in funding for the building projects would come from Westlake Academy’s capital improvement projects fund, while $3 million is restricted to the Arts and Science extension. The town is also looking at an agreement with a private donor to fund the sports improvements.