Council demands repairs, oversight after repeated failures at new Lowell High athletic center

Lowell City Council members on Jan. 7 directed the city manager and school officials to produce a report and increase oversight after multiple speakers described recurring equipment failures, leaks and safety problems at the new Lowell High School athletic center.

The complaints—delivered by a school committee member, the high school athletic director and several councilors—covered a range of problems they said have persisted since the building opened, including bleachers that Serrano said "cannot be pulled out without tearing the floor," a mechanical fitting that flooded a locker room, malfunctioning elevators that have trapped people, locks and door handles failing, and repeated small defects that staff say add up to routine disruption.

The testimony prompted Councilor Jeunesse to ask that the city manager and appropriate departments prepare a formal report on "recent and continued failures in the new high school athletic center as well as an action plan for repair and holding the developer accountable for this building and the rest of the project." The council later approved a motion to convene a facilities subcommittee and have city staff coordinate meetings with the contractor and the School Building Committee, and asked staff to provide weekly or regular summaries of OAC (owner–architect–contractor) meetings to the council.

Why it matters: Speakers said the center is a major capital investment for the city and that continuing failures both disrupt student programming and risk larger, more expensive repairs if problems are not addressed promptly.…