Committee on Joint School Buildings hears update on Priority 1 school projects and accepts report

The Committee on Joint School Buildings heard an update on the Manchester School District’s Priority 1 construction program and accepted the report for informational transmittal to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of School Committee.

The presentation covered recent preconstruction work, early-release procurement for site work, steel, concrete and windows, progress on construction documents, geotechnical findings and the schedule through summer 2026. Mark Lenfest, presenting for the project team, said Consigli has mobilized at Hillside and McLaughlin and that early-release packages and 90% construction documents for Group 1 have been issued.

Why it matters: the Priority 1 projects affect several occupied school sites, require temporary modular classrooms, and include site work where soil testing found some contamination that will need management. The schedule and procurement decisions will determine near-term construction costs, modular removal timing and when classrooms are returned to regular use.

Project status and near-term work Project managers reported weekly OAC (owner‑architect‑contractor) meetings, continued programming for Parkside and Southside, and completion of several early procurement packages intended to address long-lead items. The team said it will seek awards for early Group 1 scopes (site work, steel, concrete, windows) and expects to reconcile estimates for the 90% construction documents and issue 100% CDs in mid‑month.

Mark Lenfest described the purpose of early-release packages as getting long‑lead materials and early site work in place, and said the Group 1 contractor Consigli has “mobilized to both of those sites on time.” He also said the team has advertised for a materials testing services firm and is continuing logistics planning for occupied‑school work.

Mechanical units, corrective work and funding The presenters discussed corrective work on modular HVAC units. When asked about who would pay for corrective work, the team said the corrective work is being funded by Triumph Modular. “The corrective work is being funded by Triumph Modular, because what we got wasn't working correctly,” Lenfest said. The team described outstanding components for DDC controls and ERVs (energy‑recovery ventilators) that are scheduled for installation later in April.

Soil testing and terrain alteration The team reported geotechnical and soil surveys at project sites. Lenfest said Hillside and McLaughlin have had testing, with limited contamination at McLaughlin and a non‑reportable condition at Hillside. He added that Hillside testing showed “a naturally occurring arsenic,” which the team said is deeper in the soil and is being addressed as part of project planning.

Project staff noted that a terrain alteration application is required by the State of New Hampshire where a certain amount of square footage will be disturbed; they said the Beach Street site and the relocated beach work at a park will require further testing and, as needed, remediation or an action plan for disposal or reuse consistent with state rules.

Schedules, occupancy and modulars The team described the Group 1 schedule as mobilized April 1, with addition construction targeting a start in late April or early May and substantial summer work through August 2026. They said McLaughlin is expected to be complete and occupied by the end of summer 2026; Hillside additions were described as prioritized for modular removal so final site work and playground construction can proceed. Work remaining after those summers may continue into subsequent summers (the team described targeted “summer slammers” when buildings are unoccupied to accelerate interior work).

On temporary classrooms, the presenters said the district has 72 modular units across six sites purchased through Triumph. The team reported total cost for the six modular buildings as about $17,000,000 for all six sites and said the plan for excess modulars is first reuse by the city or district, then resale to the market. The team said they are soliciting resale values and tracking market demand for used units.

Budget, tariffs and procurement risk The presenters discussed trade tariffs and material‑cost risk, saying steel pricing is already being tracked and will be broken out in bids; contingencies will be used if tariffs affect costs. The project team stated the program is currently “on budget” as reported to the committee; the meeting did not record an exact, verifiable project budget figure during the presentation.

Project websites and public information Consigli has developed individual project pages (McLaughlin and Hillside) with logistics plans, traffic and egress maps, and update links. The Priority 1 (P1) website is being reviewed by the Manchester School District before public launch; presenters said the district web pages and the two school pages already carry some update links and that the P1 site will host links to the individual project pages when approved.

Committee action and next steps Committee member Turner moved, seconded by Terry O'Harell, to accept the report and submit it to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of School Committee for informational purposes. The motion carried by voice vote; the clerk recorded the motion and its passage but did not read a roll‑call tally. The committee then voted to adjourn on a motion moved by Alderman Kantor and seconded by Terry O'Harell.

The project team said they will return with reconciled 90%/100% estimates, award recommendations for early packages and updates on tariffs, contamination testing, and the P1 website progress.