Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pollard Designer Selection Msba topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Needham committee briefed on MSBA designer interview and ranking for Pollard-High Rock consolidation
Summary
The committee was notified that the MSBA interview panel will hold presentations and rank three shortlisted firms — Arrow Street, Doran/Whittier and HMFH — and that the vote and ranking occur immediately at the meeting; staff instructed committee members not to discuss the process among themselves while selection is pending.
The Permanent Public Building Committee on May 19 was briefed on the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) interview and ranking process to select a designer for the Pollard-High Rock project.
Process and timeline: Hank, staff to the committee, said the MSBA panel will hear presentations and question three shortlisted firms — Arrow Street, Doran/Whittier and HMFH — and then immediately rank the firms. The ranking uses a point system: three points for the top-ranked firm, two points for the second and one point for the third. Hank said the winner will be known the same day of the interviews.
Confidentiality and committee guidance: Committee members were asked not to discuss the interviews among themselves or “reply all” on related emails because such exchanges could be construed as a public meeting. Staff said they will notify committee members of the ranking result by blind copy email and arrange for the selected architect to attend a subsequent PBBC meeting or the first convenient meeting after selection.
Why it matters: The designer selection will determine the team that will work on program development and later design stages for the Pollard-High Rock consolidation project. Staff indicated they may invite school-district representatives and other stakeholders to future joint meetings with the selected architect.
Next steps: The MSBA interviews were scheduled for the following morning; the committee expected a prompt notification of the ranking and planned to invite the selected firm to a future PBBC meeting for an introduction and next-step discussion.
