SALAMANCA — In addition to the annual school district budget, residents in the Salamanca City Central School District will vote Tuesday on the $21.49 million Phase 4 leg of the ongoing capital improvement project with no tax increase.

The referendum will authorize upgrades on the 50 Iroquois Drive campus including upgrading the athletic fields and renovating the maintenance and transportation buildings.

“We thought it would be appropriate to come back to the community and update them of where we are at,” said District Superintendent Robert Breidenstein. “We’ve updated some additional work and scope into this project to complete the previously improved renovations and add some pretty exciting elements into the project.”

The Phase 4 project would encompass a complete renovation of the 15-year-old track and field, converting it to eight lanes; turf multi-purpose fields inside the track including lacrosse, soccer and football; a new turf softball field; relocation and expansion of tennis courts; renovations and upgrade to the existing maintenance building with restrooms, concessions and spectator spaces; and added parking near the track, Breidenstein said.

“We stayed true to the core mission of the previous project, but we’ve also had the ability to enhance the project pretty significantly and dramatically to fall in line with our expectations of excellence,” he explained.

The project also includes about $290,000 in security upgrades around the Iroquois Drive campus and renovations to the Seneca Intermediate science classrooms.

The cost for all aspects of the Phase 4 construction will not impact the local tax levy. The funding for the related work, construction and contingencies will come from existing district financial reserves and various forms of New York state aid. The net result is a zero impact on taxes while securing $21,489,881 worth of upgrades.

“There will be some aid-ability to the project, and that boils down to certain elements of the complex because it is attached to the main campus,” he said, noting physical education aid as a possible avenue.

Design work has been ongoing for the past two years with district stakeholders, most notably the athletics and buildings and grounds departments, and support of architecture firm LaBella Associates and construction management team from Turner Construction, Breidenstein said. District staff has worked to consider the surrounding environment, local heritage and culture and to design an impressive facility where students, athletes and the community can achieve excellence.

“With voter approval, we’ll sit down in the next phase of design and hammer out those details,” he added. “The first part of the process will be to revisit the construction documents.”

If the project is voted down, Breidenstein said the district will continue to reach out to and work with the community to move the school toward the vision the community has in mind. Since the failed “Salamanca 2020” project vote in 2015, all five previous project-related votes have passed with overwhelming community support.

“We’ve seen with our STEAM addition the excitement and success that has had with our academics,” he said. “We’ve seen the incredible level of community support to the work we’ve done at Vets Park. … Other schools are now coming to us to help them with their fields.”

Since 2017, the district has secured community support for renovations, additions, security upgrades, maintenance, general repairs and property acquisitions to improve academic programs and outdoor amenities. These upgrades have also included a substantial investment in technology, security/safety measures, STEAM spaces, food service, air conditioning, libraries, infrastructure, roofing and the district’s centerpiece, Veterans Memorial Park.

“We believe that with the renovations to the track and field, softball diamond and tennis and pickle ball courts, we’ll be able to continue to host significantly large events, which does have an economic impact on the community and brings people to the community,” he added. “We’re always looking forward with a mindful eye at the future and making sure our properties and amenities with our goals and financial ability to pay for them without coming back to the community for additional taxes.”