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Lowell High renovation delayed after discovery of collapsed basement slab; city to report cost impact in June
Summary
Contractors found voids under the 1922 building basement slab that will require removal and replacement of about 32,000 square feet of slab and underlying soil. The discovery pushes completion of the 1922 work and later phases and will exceed the current $381 million project budget; the city expects a cost estimate in June and a revised schedule.
Contractors reported on unforeseen structural conditions in the 1922 building basement at Lowell High School that will delay completion and add substantial cost to the ongoing renovation.
The issue was disclosed during a council briefing by project representatives. “When we were cutting the slab … the slab was dropping approximately 2 to 3 inches,” the project representative told the council, saying the work revealed a gap under the floor that engineers attribute to soil settlement. The affected area is approximately 32,000 square feet and will require removal of slab and about 2 feet of soil, structural fill replacement, and a new reinforced slab in multiple locations.
The discovery will delay turnover of the 1922 portion of Phase 3 beyond the planned August handover and push Phase 4 work into 2026–27. Project staff said completion of the affected building work is likely to extend the overall project schedule; a full revised schedule and subcontractor pricing are expected in the coming weeks. “We are currently pricing this,” the project representative said. “We will be back, at the June, detailing what the cost impacts are to this unforeseen condition.”
Why it matters: the city’s total project budget is $381 million. Project managers reported $13.8 million in change orders already charged against contingency and said about $7.3 million of contingency remained. They also reported additional potential change events of roughly $7.2 million (not including the slab remediation or schedule extension). The project team said they will come to the council on June 24 with an updated forecast that includes the slab work, schedule extension and contingency needs.
Council members pressed the project team on the adequacy of early sampling and structural review. Several councilors questioned why two core borings done during design did not reveal the condition in the larger basement area. “Coring in one is not coring,” a councilor said, asking for more extensive testing moving forward. Project staff responded that the structural engineers and geotechnical firm had reviewed prior cores and had not found indications of the voids at those specific sample points.
Officials also discussed reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA); the project team said they will continue to submit reimbursement requests bimonthly and that MSBA reimbursements totaling about $178 million have been received to date. City staff and council members said they will consult the city’s delegation and other options for offsetting overrun impacts, but project leaders emphasized they will return with an itemized cost forecast in June before the council considers any budget action.
Proposed next steps and deadlines: Suffolk Construction is producing a fully revised schedule for subcontractors; the city expects to have subcontractor pricing for the slab work within the next two months and an updated budget/schedule to present June 24. Project staff said moving the school mid-year to accommodate partial occupancy would be untenable, which is why they plan a summer move once phase work is complete.
Ending: The project team committed to returning with a detailed cost and schedule update in June; councilors requested more testing in remaining historic sections before work proceeds. Any formal request for additional funds or changes to scope will be presented to the council when staff has the contractor pricing and revised contingency forecast.
