Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cohoes schools get updates on Phase 2 construction, drainage and summer relocations
Summary
Turner Construction updated the Cohoes City School District board on Phase 1 and Phase 2 capital work, highlighting elevator and science-lab work, drainage and paving priorities, portable scoreboards and plans to relocate some high school classes during construction.
Turner Construction and district staff gave board members a status update on the district's 2022 capital projects, including Phase 1 completions and Phase 2 work scheduled through the summer and into next school year.
Representatives said Phase 1 items such as elevator work and interior finishes are complete at several buildings and that Phase 2 work is in progress after hours at the middle school and high school. Contractors are finishing corridor work, roofs and skylights and have patched and painted main entry and plaster at the middle school.
District staff and Turner outlined the biggest upcoming work: renovating high school science labs, completing parking-area milling and paving, and finishing field and dugout improvements. The team said elevators remain a priority and that the Harmony Hill elevator installation and another elevator are being completed this week.
Drainage behind the high school was described as a health-and-safety priority. Staff outlined a base bid to reconfigure and install concrete drainage and connect it to the existing subsurface system so storm runoff no longer floods the area or routs toward electrical service. Alternate paving work may be bid but can be declined if a different configuration is desired.
Board members raised concerns about parking capacity, traffic circulation and whether the proposed milling and repaving would add parking or change traffic flow; staff said the planned paving is primarily milling and re-striping and does not add spaces. Turner said one alternate lot might be reconfigured later or omitted from this summer's bid if the board wants a redesigned solution.
Contract clarifications and minor change orders were noted: scoreboards for baseball/softball will be movable (portable) units; some science-room casework and library cabinetry work remain under review; and isolated items such as playground drainage and hardware pricing are being resolved with prime contractors. The district also discussed removing an old section of fence where posts and footings may need excavation if existing metal remains from a prior installation.
Staff said summer programming will require classroom relocations: Harmony Hill Elementary will be used as a primary kitchen for summer meals and for SUNY tutoring, some high school classes will be held at the middle school, and virtual options are being explored. An audit and further planning will determine long-term HVAC priorities and the district's approach to larger capital needs.
The presentation closed with staff noting that some Phase 2 work is funded by available project money and that additional or future projects may require voter authorization or borrowing depending on audit findings and project scope.
