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Design team previews Fallbrook Elementary replacement; MSBA schematic submission due this month
Summary
City officials and the district’s project team presented schematic designs and a schedule for the Fallbrook Elementary replacement, saying a major schematic submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority is due at the end of the month and the MSBA board will vote on the project April 30.
Craig DeCarlo, the owners’ project manager from Left Field, and the design team gave the Leominster School Committee a schematic-design update on the Fallbrook Elementary replacement project, including the project schedule, site plan concepts and next public meetings.
The design team said the district is in module 4 of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process. The team plans to submit the schematic-design package to the MSBA at the end of the month; the MSBA board of directors is scheduled to vote on the project April 30. If the board approves, the design phase would continue through fall 2026, construction would run through fall 2028, and final site work and project closeout would finish in 2029.
The schematic site plan places the new two‑story building north of the existing Fallbrook school, with a separate bus parking area intended to keep drop‑off and bus traffic off DeChico Drive. Public spaces (cafetorium/gym) are sited near the main entrance so they can be closed off for community use. The design team said classrooms will be about 130 square feet larger than the existing rooms, and special education and “specials” (art, music, STEM) are grouped to reduce circulation distances for students. The building will be fully accessible, with a central elevator and wider stairs.
Design leads said the MSBA will determine the approved number of classrooms based on an earlier enrollment approval (the team cited the district’s MSBA‑approved population from 2020/2021); any increase beyond that number would be funded solely by the city. The design will be “solar ready” and EV‑ready to meet new energy code requirements, and the team said they are looking at materials and mechanical systems to reduce energy use and indoor toxins.
On cost, the team said the MSBA is expected to contribute a significant portion of the overall project cost; the district will be responsible for the remaining share. The presenters did not provide final dollar figures. The team said it will present estimated construction cost, total project cost and a city funding strategy at a March 1 public meeting; the MSBA’s maximum grant amount is expected after the MSBA April meeting.
The presenters described community outreach to date, including visioning sessions and public meetings, and said another public session is scheduled for March 18. They asked the committee and community to review materials on the project website and attend upcoming meetings.
Design details shown in renderings included a north‑south building orientation to maximize daylighting, gabled and angled rooflines to break down building massing, canopy at the main entrance, an internal cafetorium with adjacent courtyard and a double‑height library space with a visual connection to STEM. The team said exterior and interior finishes were preliminary and lighting/fixtures and other finish details will be developed during design development.
The project team answered questions from committee members and residents about circulation during construction, maintaining access to nearby schools, roof types (metal for angled roofs, membrane for flat roofs), lighting in public spaces, and cost escalation assumptions; the team said independent cost estimators are reconciling their escalation assumptions and that escalation is being included in estimates.
Next steps: schematic‑design submission to MSBA at the end of the month; March 1 public meeting for cost estimates and funding strategy; MSBA board vote April 30.
