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Middletown council hears construction updates for school projects; Library Board endorses move to 110 Enterprise Center
Summary
Facilities director Ed Collins briefed the council on design, bidding and schedule for the middle/high school and elementary complex; the Library Board of Trustees spoke in public comment to endorse relocating the library to 110 Enterprise Center, citing space, parking and an estimated cost savings.
The council received a consolidated update March 17 on the town’s school construction projects and the library building project.
Facilities Director Ed Collins reported CD (construction documents) deliverables for the middle and high school projects have been handed to construction manager Gilbane, with a kickoff meeting March 3 to review buyout schedules and bidding strategy. Collins said the first group of bid packages (site work, cast-in-place concrete, steel and elevators) were on the market; bidding will be phased in approximately six groups over about two months with a full bid package expected by July. Collins said on-site mobilization and work are expected to begin in mid‑May. For the elementary complex, Collins said estimates and CDs were reconciled and noted a budget figure of $10,100,000 (not including soft costs) for that project; he said budgets are currently on time and on budget.
Collins also said design comments from local and state jurisdictions, Rhode Island Energy coordination for energy-efficiency incentives, a PLA feasibility study (expected mid‑April), and an RFP for third‑party materials testing are underway.
On the library project, the library subcommittee reviewed RFQ responses and forwarded one consultant’s name to the Library Board for approval, Collins said. The library director ‘‘Kim’’ has received materials needed for construction reimbursement from the Office of Library and Information Services, and the board is continuing a required strategic‑planning process. The library open house at the proposed 110 Enterprise Center site is scheduled for Thursday, 5–7 p.m.
Joan De Finis, acting chair of the Middletown Library Board of Trustees, read a board statement unanimously endorsing the town’s decision to relocate the library to 110 Enterprise Center. The board statement said the adapted existing building would provide roughly 29,952 square feet of interior space, 3.52 acres of land and 122 parking spaces, and that the single‑level layout offers accessibility and a faster, lower‑cost path to completion. The statement said adapting the existing building could yield an estimated savings of $14,000,000 compared with a new build and reduce service disruption because the library would move only once.
Councilors did not request further action beyond receiving the updates; a motion to receive the school and library project updates was approved by the council.
