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Architects, construction manager outline timeline, cost drivers for Pennsbury’s proposed new high school
Summary
KCBA Architects and construction manager SiteLogic told the Pennsbury School Board the new high school is in construction‑documents phase, targeted for spring 2026 ground‑breaking with a roughly four‑year build, and a DD cost estimate in the high‑$200 millions. Board members and residents pressed consultants on geotechnical findings, stormwater, and cost escalation.
KCBA Architects and construction manager SiteLogic presented a detailed update on the Pennsbury School District’s proposed new high school during the board’s May 15 meeting, outlining schedule milestones, design features, geotechnical findings and a design‑development cost estimate.
KCBA’s lead designer, Mike Strohecker, told the board the project has moved from design development into construction documents and is “roughly 50% through construction documents” with an anticipated construction start in spring 2026 and a four‑year construction period. Miranda Esposito of KCBA reviewed the site plan and key program elements: separate bus and parent drop‑off loops, a three‑story academic core, performing arts spaces including an auditorium that KCBA described as seating about 1,000 (approximately 800 on the main level plus 200 on the balcony), learning stairs and semi‑enclosed courtyards, and an athletic wing with a natatorium.
The consultants said they submitted a preliminary land‑development package to Falls Township and expected feedback in time for a possible June planning commission hearing. Strohecker said finish selections and coordination with multiple subconsultants — theater, pool, mechanical/electrical/plumbing and food‑service planners — were underway to produce accurate renderings and final samples.
On foundation and soil questions, board members asked whether the geotechnical report identified conditions that would require specialized foundations or drive major cost increases. Strohecker said the geotechnical report showed the site is buildable for the intended design and “doesn’t require any special or stepped up footings and foundations,” noting the report found groundwater in locations but that the building floor slab will be raised in parts of the site so footings are above the groundwater level. He added that stormwater will be managed on site in accordance with Falls and Bristol township ordinances so runoff will not be discharged offsite.
SiteLogic’s preconstruction manager Michael Pickens presented the district’s design‑development (DD) estimate for a 497,000‑square‑foot facility and outlined procurement strategies to control price risk. Pickens reported a DD estimate in the range of about $269 million and said the all‑in cost equates to roughly $485 per square foot (with the building component alone about $412 per square foot). He told the board the team plans to use multiple prime packages and deduct alternates to encourage competition, while keeping the electrical prime package intact because of strong local contractor interest.
Pickens cautioned about material price volatility: since the April estimate, the team was tracking average material cost increases in the 8–10% range and called out specific recent vendor trends (for example, variable frequency drives and certain AV and auditorium equipment showing elevated price movement). He said the project team is planning bid packaging and alternates to give the district options on bid day to reduce the overall price if market conditions are unfavorable.
Why it matters: The presentation set a public schedule—land‑development submittal already made to Falls Township, an expected Act 34 hearing timeframe in early September (for required public process), a spring 2026 construction start, and a multi‑year build—while also flagging substantial cost and geotechnical uncertainties that residents and board members raised during public comment. Several residents later challenged the scope of the geotechnical analysis and the district’s ability to control costs, and asked for additional independent review and transparent accounting of site remediation costs.
What’s next: KCBA and SiteLogic will continue construction‑document work, refine the cost estimate, and respond to township review comments. The board was scheduled to receive a final budget presentation next month and will vote on the budget at a future meeting. The consultants encouraged residents to review forthcoming renderings and documentation that the district said would be posted with meeting materials.
