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Committee hears update on Priority 1 school construction; staff says group 1 could start in spring
Summary
Committee on Joint School Buildings received a progress report on Priority 1 projects (Hillside, McLaughlin, Parkside, Southside and Beach Street). Staff outlined issued design documents, procurement status and a mid‑March culvert survey for the Beach Street site; the committee accepted the monthly financial report.
Members of the Committee on Joint School Buildings heard an update on the school district’s Priority 1 construction projects and accepted the committee’s monthly financial status report at a regular meeting.
The presentation outlined recent design and procurement milestones for Group 1 (Hillside and McLaughlin), ongoing work on Group 2 (Parkside and Southside) and site planning for the Beach Street project at Sheridan Park. Project staff said 75 percent construction documents for Group 1 were issued late last month, that power issues at modular locations had been resolved and that exploratory work on fire protection systems at Hillside and McLaughlin is complete.
The update matters because these projects include full campus construction and site work that will determine when heavy construction begins and how quickly school facilities come back online for students and staff.
David Theriault, staff member and project presenter, said the team will execute “Amendment 1” for Group 1 to cover exploratory work already completed and will finish reconciling estimates for the 75 percent design set. He said early bid packages for site work, steel, concrete and windows are being prepared. “The issuance of the 90 percent CD sets is scheduled for March 4,” Theriault said.
Theriault and other staff discussed procurement and construction-management status: Consigli is procured for Group 1; Harvey has been procured for Group 2 and is expected to contract for Beach Street once a revised work plan is finalized. The team is soliciting a local vendor through Triumph for modular HVAC work, and the project team has started procuring material‑testing services.
On the Beach Street site, Theriault said the consultant will perform a more detailed survey of the culvert with a target of mid‑March to complete the work. “Before we do any sort of real engineering, we need that more detailed survey of the culvert,” he said. Staff said Harvey will update its schedule after SMMA finalizes the revised work plan.
When asked when “we will see a shovel in the ground” for Group 1, Alderman O’Neil pressed for a specific start date. Theriault replied, “This spring,” and added that staff will publish a finite start date once it is confirmed. Committee members discussed timing tradeoffs, with staff noting that some construction managers prefer a fall start to show progress but that weather and cost efficiency sometimes favor starting in spring.
Committee members also asked about a commercial kitchen. Theriault said the kitchen “is included in the 03/2006 budget” as a dedicated line item but that the final location had not been decided.
The committee accepted the monthly status and financial report by motion. School committee member Soule moved to accept the report; Alderman O’Neil seconded. Chairman O’Connell called the vote and declared, “The ayes have it.”
The meeting closed after a brief exchange about recently approved land transfers related to the Beach Street site; no formal decisions about those transfers were recorded at this meeting. The committee set no new construction start date at the session and directed staff to publish a confirmed start date when available. Members adjourned the meeting by motion.
The committee will meet next month for regular status updates.
