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Haverford Township SD project manager says Chatham Park renovation behind schedule but contingency intact; Coopertown plans move toward bids
Summary
CP Development Services reported masonry delays at Chatham Park, about $50,000 in change orders to be presented, and a contingency balance just under $800,000. Coopertown plans are ~80% complete; district intends to ask the board to authorize bids in March and begin work after school ends in June 2025.
Ken Matthews, CP Development Services, told the Haverford Township SD Finance and Facilities Committee on Feb. 13 that work at Chatham Park is progressing but that cold weather has slowed masonry and the classroom wing is “running a little behind.”
The construction update said the front two‑story addition will be temporarily enclosed so interior work can continue, and that the project has roughly $50,000 in change orders to present to the board next week. Matthews said the project began with a $1,500,000 contingency and that “based on all pending and approved change orders to date, there's still a little just under $800,000 left in the project contingency.”
Matthews described the change orders as largely “standard” items: owner‑requested additions of rooms that were missed in programming, deducts for reuse of on‑site furniture, plumbing work tied to added rooms, and constructability changes in the rear classroom wing. He said abatement work remains and that contingency funds will be used as needed to keep the schedule.
During discussion, committee members asked how an owner‑requested change occurred. Matthews said two rooms originally in the Linwood plans — a calming room and a lactation room — were omitted from the Coopertown programming and were added to make building programming consistent across sites. Dr. Rishi explained the calming room’s purpose: “That's a room that is used by students in a number of our special education programs ... a smaller setting [where] a child ... can self regulate ... so that the children are then able to more quickly get back into the routine.”
On schedule, Matthews said the district is phasing work to reduce summer pressure: the rear classroom wing is targeted for completion in April so five classrooms can relocate, allowing in‑place bathroom upgrades and plumbing work in April and May. He said the gym and stage areas are scheduled to move mid‑May to allow floor work, and that the cafeteria kitchen will close about 2½ weeks early on June 2 to allow plumbing and renovation work before the summer window. Matthews said the overall goal remains to have the schools ready for the fall start of school.
Coopertown plans, Matthews said, are roughly 80% complete. The district intends to request board authorization to go out to bid at the March 6 board meeting, advertise the following week, receive bids in early April and — if bids fall within the project budget — seek board approval April 24. Matthews said work would start immediately after the last day of school (June 19) and be phased so swing space is available in early 2026; he projected Coopertown work complete by August 2026 for the September school start.
No formal vote occurred at the committee meeting. Matthews said change orders will be presented for board approval next week, and that the Coopertown bid authorization will be asked of the full board in March.
