[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6476856,"mediaKeyId","5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba","parentId",5716557,"title","Selection process for construction manager at-risk advances; finance working group approves July invoices","audioSeconds",380,"startMs",7733000,"endMs",8113000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba&start=7733&end=8113","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba/thumbnail_7733000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6476856/Massachusetts/Selection-process-for-construction-manager-at-risk-advances-finance-working-group-approves-July-invoices","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476856-b395a73a0529da66a1b8cb89c60912f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124386&Signature=VMCnh9cEiMGgm~G3F6tLXXR-BFM4Ta60TUCMRxHZR9dXhncOrWfs5QXeIb-IC~Wjue21cdOhPD311N~ogioOgGRdKXzK~G1lAICwBF0TS3TvlyNNXyMYgKfVyAcisUoZZo6muBRjSd3hesgL3p9Rjy90yczSaVhKbbOfDN1vogrQVs0VFJy-sQ9Lr8TdqwDIynzMZXx9-rgBf7nqhJ6BjcFxqPDSh4VwNzMcWtQ8Hs4jEDx82t2CTluiN7WL5gpUfgi7KhGRPIYJOZ4C2Ppj7T3VWOuhaovvRlE~cPo2KY9NKiBHnJnFY9qmPi3B9RnWlGCdZx9Tg7brXdoLnpCPDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salem Public Schools, MA","date","2025-09-04T16:01:15Z","article","The Salem High School Building Committee received an update Aug. 21 on the construction manager at-risk (CMAR) selection process, finance working group activity and public outreach scheduling ahead of the schematic-design and procurement phases.

Procurement: Deborah and Paul, members of the CMAR selection subcommittee, said five qualification submissions were received and the committee shortlisted four teams to proceed to the request-for-proposal (RFP) round: Gilbane; a joint team listed in meeting materials as \"Chaumet Rich Partners\"; a local joint bid by Skanska and Suffolk; and Gilbane (listed also separately in packet). The joint proposal from Bond and HJ Russell was not shortlisted. Proposals are due Sept. 3; interviews with finalists were scheduled for Sept. 16 and 17 in the annex. The selection subcommittee plans to score proposals the week of Sept. 15 and report to the full building committee at its next meeting.

Finance: the finance working group reported it met Aug. 20 and approved two invoices for July: AnswerAdvisor for $23,011.25 and Perkins and Will for $85,404.80, a combined total of $108,416.05. The working group also discussed expected contracting timelines for the CMAR and other contracting logistics.

Public outreach and engagement: committee members described ongoing community events and volunteer sign-ups to staff outreach tables at back-to-school nights, farmers markets and food pantry events. Staff and committee members said kit materials (boards, tent, table, signage) are staged at city offices and the sustainability department and that volunteers can sign up via a shared spreadsheet. Committee members emphasized the value of a simple debt-impact calculator for the project website and asked the design team to update the boards with any new first-floor plan changes.

Next steps: the CMAR RFP process will proceed with finalist interviews in mid-September. The finance working group will continue to refine contracting timelines; staff will update the community outreach calendar and materials. The committee also scheduled additional meetings through the schematic-design milestones to allow time for CMAR onboarding and schematic estimating.

Sources: CMAR selection update, finance working group report and community engagement discussion at the Salem High School Building Committee meeting, Aug. 21 (transcript).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SHS Building Committee Meeting - August 21st, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The CM at-risk shortlist was announced and the finance working group approved two July invoices totaling $108,416.05; public outreach events and volunteer sign-ups for community engagement were also discussed.","taxTitle","Salem Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71121,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6476861,"Design team outlines ecology-driven schematic design, site plan and athletics constraints for Salem High School",3225,4551000,7776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba&start=4551&end=7776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba/thumbnail_4551000.jpg","/articles/6476861/Massachusetts/Design-team-outlines-ecology-driven-schematic-design-site-plan-and-athletics-constraints-for-Salem-High-School","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476861-242665a1f876ba63413f7d25791d00fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124386&Signature=USr4RCQlr2RXazMAC52EekR9SBTONQQ50iAJZ90vLdw2zhUO3BnDF2F9Wah3lVVvT0DC-y~PueLaYmXCxq0VZKHjpoiKtLJgsJQsWjRYOaFDUGHDSxcfdcyDQn0c--bN9Tkr-tShECl38glAn7CXzLK1oa9YzvHcvgTWWMXeiL~Dd3eWPaxIkw7yRyzlHKfaQRCVUSKwpfn-Cm8BAP2YHv~8kFwjQieCxGqeHopq3Dq57vuizaV1XdUSCyhqGGBg0cx0wx6WL9E~TdrXTNz8HThaUO7D-RbkBjYXLVOSOT5zEHN3SCy6uiAsjw9rydG4IidbUbDG2lAC7~TPcGJENg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Perkins and Will and landscape consultants presented a schematic-design update to the Salem High School Building Committee on Aug. 21 that emphasized ecology-led site planning, a massing strategy of three parallel academic \"bars,\" and tradeoffs for athletics fields and circulation.

The design team described work underway to support the MSBA schematic design submission, including weekly consultant coordination, geotechnical test pits, traffic review with MassDOT, a cut/fill grading analysis, and schematic estimating. Perkins and Will said the team is preparing schematic documents required for the MSBA funding process and coordinating mechanical, electrical and fire-protection reviews with city staff.

Navia Raju, an ecologist on the Perkins and Will team, framed the campus as a transition zone between upland forest and coastal wetlands and recommended nature-based strategies: wetland restoration, increased infiltration and pollinator/native planting to support biodiversity and climate resiliency. Raju highlighted soils, glacial stratified deposits on site, and growing climate-driven flood risk as design drivers; the team proposed boardwalks, outdoor classrooms, meadows and pollinator gardens that could double as living classrooms.

Landscape architect Lynn (Studio 2112) showed how the team translated ecological zones into landscape typologies: wetland buffers, meadows, forest-edge buffers and core forest patches. The plan places outdoor maker spaces, foraging and teaching gardens near the central courtyard and a proposed outdoor amphitheater adjacent to the Black Cat Cafe and servery. The landscape team emphasized biodiversity metrics for planting (no more than 10% of a species, 20% of a genus, 30% of a family) to promote ecological resilience.

Perkins and Will showed building massing that steps with the site's topography, with three academic bars connected by a central circulation spine and shared facilities (gym, cafeteria, auditorium) opening to the landscape. The team said the kitchen was relocated to the center bar to reduce internal circulation and that career and technical education (CTE) spaces are distributed to make CTE work visible from the site.

Athletics: the team confirmed two MIAA-compliant multiuse fields in the central site core but said the baseball and softball layouts where currently drawn would be practice-only rather than competition-compliant because required outfield and backstop dimensions cannot fit without additional space or overlays that typically require synthetic turf. The design team noted that overlaying multiple competitive field footprints commonly leads to a requirement for synthetic turf if competition-level play and extensive hours of use are expected. Committee members asked for additional clarity on fencing heights, night lighting impacts on ecology and maintenance implications of any synthetic surface.

Site circulation: the plan preserves a southern vehicular entrance for parent drop-off and relocates bus/day-care activity to the northeast loop; gates were shown to provide secure perimeter separation during school hours while maintaining pedestrian access to athletics and green spaces. The team said reconfiguration retains current parking counts by converting the existing bus parking area near the tennis courts into vehicular parking if buses are parked elsewhere.

Schedule and next steps: the team said schematic design estimating will take place in November and that MSBA comments on the preferred schematic report were received and responded to by staff earlier the same day. The team expects continued coordination with MSBA and the city's consultants and promised updated drawings for committee review, including a revised first-floor plan to reflect recent program moves.

Committee members expressed strong interest in maximizing ecological features for student learning, including restoration of wetlands and trails to connect Salem High School to Salem Woods Park, and raised practical questions about night lighting, the cost and environmental trade-offs of synthetic turf, and where potential bus parking would be located. Designers said these topics will be refined in the schematic design documents and in conversations with city departments.

Sources: Perkins and Will presentation, ecology briefing and landscape presentation during Salem High School Building Committee meeting, Aug. 21 (transcript).","Perkins and Will and landscape consultants presented schematic design progress focused on ecology-led site planning, landscape typologies, massing and athletics field constraints ahead of the MSBA schematic submission process.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6476865,"Salem building committee rejects project labor agreement for new high school",3121,805000,3926000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba&start=805&end=3926","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5716557-fb768d5e26f0d40875c49c96840917ba/thumbnail_805000.jpg","/articles/6476865/Massachusetts/Salem-building-committee-rejects-project-labor-agreement-for-new-high-school","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476865-aefb6147c67d31e57806d9325c395371/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124387&Signature=HgdOeIPSlp6FaxyEhvfN7wqmUkZKZfJlEWm5-2ExLhwqA~EvTnVoFPHVlPoDH9o2x3D-TJvVacedai-agQTGaORzZAlNwfRe1zRkCAwDB6OSD76wATBvjLQ2GHEzgH9mSWmiXMf-k2fvmya8vSmksyerWLNhNsIVf9Qls1aq-KOhJIhOg4ZwtaCi9gGXc5jkfGsgwvFiXZJNX-9xbxTMkJV70mQw9wkxROlBno3Dy0EEoFHp0O7zcwD-~3DcuXkiBoc53PXEJjlzYi7-2my3AKveMNmJZfmsyxM1ur5Hw7q6f8UMkr-zhQqvEdwHvMG811DCZnbLvvTd8GyEoq~MYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Salem High School Building Committee members voted 9–4 on Aug. 21 to decline use of a project labor agreement, rejecting a motion that the city's best interests would be furthered by a PLA.

The committee heard roughly 90 minutes of presentations and questions before the roll call. Supporters, represented by Rodrigo Badaro of the North Shore Building Trades and Dan McNulty of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions, argued a PLA would improve schedule stability, enforce local-hire and apprenticeship goals, and reduce workforce turnover. Opponents, led by Greg Beeman of the Associated Builders and Contractors' Massachusetts chapter, said PLAs curb competition by effectively limiting labor sourcing and risk higher costs and exclusion of open-shop and many minority-owned contractors.

Committee chair Margaret (staff member) opened the item and invited paired presentations from labor and open-shop representatives. Rodrigo Badaro, president of the North Shore Building Trades, outlined local-hire and apprenticeship benefits and noted the union group's previous participation in large regional projects. Dan McNulty, operations director for Massachusetts Building Trades Unions, summarized national and state studies his group says show no consistent PLA-driven increase in final project cost, argued union-affiliated apprenticeship programs deliver most registered apprentices in the state, and said PLAs provide enforceable commitments beyond \"good-faith\" hiring promises.

Greg Beeman, president of the Massachusetts chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), represented open-shop contractors and warned that PLAs make projects effectively union-only, reducing bidder pools. He cited examples his organization says show higher costs and fewer bidders where PLAs were adopted and raised concerns about potential reduced opportunity for open-shop firms and smaller minority-owned businesses.

Committee members questioned both sides about local labor availability, apprenticeship ratios, and the practical effects on bidding and schedule. Dan McNulty told the committee his organizations list roughly 450 trades members in Salem and more than 6,000 in Essex County; he emphasized that union halls can be \"elastic\" and scale labor up for multi-year projects. Beeman said he had no detailed local open-shop headcount but argued that open-shop contractors commonly choose not to bid on PLA projects because the PLA requires them to source labor through union referral systems.

After about a 10-minute committee Q&A, the committee voted on the motion as presented. A roll call recorded at the meeting produced four affirmative votes and nine negative votes and the motion failed. The committee's formal conclusion, announced by the chair, was that it would not enter into a PLA for the Salem High School project.

The vote does not by itself resolve contract language for procurement; speakers on both sides noted the committee and the city can still write local-hire, apprenticeship, and diversity requirements into procurement documents regardless of the PLA decision. Supporters said a PLA provides enforceable corrective-action mechanisms and a centralized framework for local-hire goals; opponents responded that equivalent requirements can be pursued through open competitive procurement and contract provisions without a PLA.

The committee's decision closes the PLA question for this phase of the project. Staff and consultants will continue schematic design, budgeting and procurement planning for the MSBA submission timetable.

Sources: presentations and Q&A during the Salem High School Building Committee meeting, Aug. 21 (transcript).","After presentations from union and contractor representatives, the Salem High School Building Committee voted 9–4 against recommending a project labor agreement (PLA) for the school construction project.","actionData","errors"]

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Selection process for construction manager at-risk advances; finance working group approves July invoices

Design team outlines ecology-driven schematic design, site plan and athletics constraints for Salem High School

Salem building committee rejects project labor agreement for new high school