Published in the Contra Costa Times on February 1, 2007

John Swett's moving day arrives: School district gets brand-new office RODEO: ConocoPhillips paid for the construction, in trade for the 100-year-old office that exasperated staff
By Kimberly S. Wetzel
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

On winter days, not even space heaters sufficiently warmed the building.

On scorching days, open windows could not adequately cool it down.

After several years of working with no central air, problem plumbing and a musty smell at their 100-year-old office building near the ConocoPhillips refinery in Crockett, John Swett school district workers officially said goodbye to the old offices this week and moved into a new building in Rodeo.

"Personally, I like old buildings and old things, but I'm not going to miss that building," Superintendent Michael Roth said. "It was just frigid on cold days. It was kind of dank."

The 7,200-square-foot, two-story building at 400 Parker Ave. was paid for by ConocoPhillips and is down the street from Rodeo Hills Elementary, but it is farther from Carquinez Middle and John Swett High schools in Crockett.

"It's a substantial improvement in the work environment for everyone," district Business Manager Bryan Richards said. "It's hard to express the vastness of the difference."

As part of an agreement with the district, ConocoPhillips will take possession of the old office building, which was built in 1906. ConocoPhillips spokesman Mark Hughes said there are no plans to demolish it, and that it could be rented out as office space.

"The school district is a valued community partner of ours," Hughes said, explaining why ConocoPhillips paid for the district's new building. He declined to say how much construction cost.

Roth said all the contents of the building have been moved into the new building with the exception of a few cartons of files, which will be taken elsewhere once a suitable storage place is found.

Roth said the district purposely worked to get everything out of the building right away to avoid a situation similar to the one a couple of years ago at Hillcrest Elementary, where looters stole or destroyed computer equipment and other items that were left behind when the school closed. Bulldozers have been razing Hillcrest over the past week.

The school board held its first meeting in the new building Wednesday night.