Committee accepts SMMA/Left Field progress report on Hillside and McLaughlin renovations

The Joint School Buildings Committee voted to accept a progress report from SMMA/Left Field on renovations and additions planned for Manchester’s middle schools, with presenters detailing contracts, schedules, budget and design elements for Hillside and McLaughlin.

Consultant David (Left Field/SMMA) said contracts for group 1 (Hillside and McLaughlin) will be executed within days and a group 2 contract for Southside and Parkside is expected the following week. The consultant said the modular work is in closeout, early foundation and steel packages will be issued after New Year’s, and a priority website is targeted to launch in late February.

The presentation included an invoice schedule posted in the committee packet: the consultant said district approval is scheduled for Dec. 13, facilities and finance review on Dec. 19, and a check payment date of Dec. 20. The committee clarified that the finance meeting will review the manifest but that final approvals follow standard district procedures.

A technical issue with modular heating units drew questions. Mr. Lenfest, who has been involved in the systems work, explained that utility constraints led to redesigning the middle-school electrical service to an 800-amp configuration instead of a 1,000-amp breaker. "It is actually simple, due to constraints put on the project by Eversource and availabilities of CT cabinets," he said, describing the need to sequence equipment starts to avoid demand spikes that caused breakers to trip. He reported heat and power are available at all modulars except one unit affected by an icing issue that crews will address the next morning.

Design lead Jen Susi (SMMA) presented interior renderings for Hillside and McLaughlin, showing new main entrances, expanded media centers, learning-commons carved from long corridors, updated finishes and plans to replace windows to increase daylight. She said the team is coordinating finishes with the district’s standards to avoid introducing maintenance-intensive materials. Susi said the team is preparing short video clips of the virtual walkthrough that can be posted on the project website.

Committee members pressed on access and programming. School committee member Turner praised the designs and asked whether media centers and community spaces would be available after hours; Susi and the chair explained the designs let administrators lock classroom wings while allowing controlled public access to centralized spaces such as gyms and media centers. Chairman Jim O'Connell noted that all public uses require permits from the school committee and raised operational issues including custodial and security staffing. "Once you open the door, there is no vestibule," O'Connell said, arguing vestibules are necessary to modernize security and to avoid visitors waiting outside at intercoms in bad weather.

On deferred maintenance, the consultant estimated that "upwards of 80–90%" of deferred-maintenance items are being addressed within the renovation scope, though some trade-offs remain (for example, not all gyms are being replaced). The chair framed the work as eliminating deferred maintenance for the renovated middle schools over the long term.

After the presentation and discussion, an unidentified committee member moved to accept the Left Field/SMMA report; School committee member Turner seconded. By voice vote the chair announced, "the ayes have it." The meeting then adjourned.

Next steps: the team will finalize and execute group 1 contracts, continue preconstruction meetings, resolve the remaining modular unit issue, refine schedules to support GMP development and prepare the website materials for public display.