Construction on new Holyoke school nears July substantial completion; ribbon cutting set for Aug. 14

Chris, a staff member, said construction at the new Holyoke City school is progressing rapidly and that the project’s substantial completion date is “coming up July 1.”

The construction update covered remaining submittals and requests for information (RFIs), ongoing cost-control reviews, and quality inspections across site work and interior finishes. Chris said furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) procurement is under way and that furniture deliveries are expected sometime after July 1. Technology procurement and vendor quotes are also in progress and “looking good,” he said.

The project team reported that exterior windows have been fully installed and that the contract requires air and water infiltration testing on a sample of the windows. Chris said the team has conducted roughly 10 tests so far and that “we've had some minimal failures on probably half of them,” adding that manufacturer and installer representatives have attended site inspections.

“We think they've identified the issue,” Chris said. “They've corrected it on 2 of them, and those windows passed.” He described the testing method as creating a negative pressure box and spraying water to detect small leaks; he said all windows passed the air tests but some water tests showed minor seepage at sill corners or similar spots. The windows' glazing warranty is 20 years, framing warranty 10 years, and the caulking is a 20-year product, the presenter said.

Committee members asked about the testing frequency. A committee member, Mark, asked, “So all the windows are in and it would 2 of them, out of all of them did not pass?” Chris explained the sampling plan (roughly two tests per 25 windows, and random selections) and said the team will continue random retesting until the design team, installer and owner are satisfied with consistent passing results.

Progress photos shown to the committee included single-user toilet rooms, classrooms with casework and ceilings being installed, the gym and cafetorium with acoustic panels being installed, a walk-in cooler and kitchen hood installation, and a media/technology/art hub connected by overhead doors. Exterior site work is restarting with concrete pads, planters and first binder-course paving anticipated in the coming weeks.

Committee members said they were encouraged by site visits. Jackie, a committee member, said she was moved by the building’s design and accessibility and called it an “innovation of the building” and “a learning environment that they deserve.” Assistant Superintendent Steven Mahoney was cited as requesting additional staff tours once the site is further along.

The committee confirmed a ribbon-cutting date: “That is going to be August 14 at 2PM with the rain date, the following day, Friday the fifteenth at 10AM,” a committee member announced.

Discussion-only items included scheduling additional small-group staff tours and outreach to vocational programs for student visits. The committee did not take any formal construction-related votes during the update; staff indicated they will continue testing, remediation and quality reviews as work proceeds.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept the March 13 minutes — moved and seconded; approved by show of hands (tally not specified). - Motion to adjourn — moved and seconded; approved (tally not specified).

Why it matters: The update outlines remaining construction tasks, quality-control steps for windows and the timeline to occupy the building, and it gives the public a date for a formal opening event.

What’s next: Staff said they expect continued testing and remediation of windows over the next few weeks, FF&E deliveries after July 1, and phased staff tours in early June and afterward as the site becomes safer for visitors.