Bristol Warren committee approves general‑contract award for high‑school project and keeps alternates 1 and 2

The Bristol Warren Regional School Committee on June 23 approved awarding the high‑school construction contract with alternates 1 and 2 after a presentation from the district’s project manager, PMA.

PMA’s presenter (Speaker 5) told the committee three sealed bids were received — Fontaine Brothers, Commodore Builders and Freight Builders — and said the base bid came in about $3.5 million below the CD‑60 construction estimate. “The base bid, the low bidder was about 3 and a half million dollars under budget,” Speaker 5 said, adding that alternates 1 and 2 could be placed back into the contract without exceeding the district’s target construction budget.

PMA walked the committee through five bid alternates: alternate 1 (press box, grandstand and toilet), alternate 2 (tennis‑court lighting), alternate 3 (baseball field), alternate 4 (additional toilet at the baseball field) and alternate 5 (geothermal). PMA recommended the district rebaseline cash flows and synchronize the construction schedule with the contractor’s timeline, and described a 6 percent owner contingency (about $9 million) the district is carrying for the stage.

PMA also gave a schedule for the work: “The high school itself, phase 1 construction of the new building is a summer 2027 completion,” Speaker 5 said, with subsequent phases for abatement, demolition and site improvements running through December 2027.

After discussion about volatility in geothermal pricing, contingency levels and whether certain alternates could be removed later if costs rise, a committee member moved to accept the bid with alternates 1 and 2; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The motion as read on the floor referenced a contractor name used in the motion: BRAKE Builders. Earlier in the presentation PMA identified Freight Builders as the low bidder; the committee recorded the vote approving the motion as made on the floor.