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Design work, geotech and elevator consultant set for Jeanne d'Arc; officials say elevator portion may take about a year
Summary
Officials said OPM work and geotech are complete for Jeanne d'Arc and that an elevator consultant will be added; the elevator portion is estimated to take roughly one year.
City and school officials told the committee that Watermark has been engaged as the owner's project manager for the planned renovation of Saint Jean Jacques/Jeanne d'Arc and that geotechnical surveys and ground‑penetrating radar work are complete.
"We've also been working along with the schools," Commissioner Saint Cyr said, describing the effort to define a scope of work that will be bid for design services. He added that the district is bringing on a separate elevator consultant "so we can bear down and move this thing along as quickly as we can."
Committee members pressed about the opening timeline. Saint Cyr said procurement and design steps take time and that "I think we'll be able to give a better date once we have the design work done and it's going out to bid." He estimated the elevator portion could take roughly a year and said he expected the district to order equipment "in the course of probably the next 8 weeks" after design is complete.
Resident Eric Getcher urged the RFP to include a firm completion date and liquidated damages to motivate bidders, offering a local example where a new elevator in another building was delivered more quickly.
Committee members also highlighted the high recurring cost of renting alternative space: a committee member said the district is spending "upwards of $500,000 per year" to rent a facility in Chelmsford for displaced programming. Officials noted that out‑of‑district placements can cost roughly $60,000 or more per student per year, reinforcing the budgetary argument for completing in‑district capacity.
School leadership said state certification for opening a separate day program depends on having the building fully ready; if an elevator is not installed before the start of the 2027–28 school year officials said they would not be able to use the building while construction is disruptive.
What happens next: design procurement will move forward and the district expects to hire an elevator consultant; committee members asked staff to return with clearer dates once the design is out to bid so the district can determine whether students can be moved in for the 2027–28 school year.
