Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Salem committee: schematic estimate about $3.8M, MSBA submission set for Dec. 17; city bond vote process outlined
Summary
The Salem High School Building Committee reported that designer and independent schematic estimates were roughly $3.70 and $3.81 (about a 3% gap), confirmed the Dec. 17 MSBA submission and a Dec. 11 authorization meeting, and heard the mayor explain the City Council bond-order and special-election timeline and homeowner tax calculator plans.
The Salem High School Building Committee was told Dec. 3 that schematic-phase cost estimates are close and the project remains on track for a mid-December submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
Margaret (OPM) said the team will submit materials to the MSBA on Dec. 17 and will present final documents at a Dec. 11 meeting to seek committee authorization to file. "We are required to let [MSBA] know we are on budget," she said, explaining the MSBA requests a draft estimate two weeks before the submission to allow reconciliation between the designer and the independent construction estimates.
Why this matters: The committee must show a reconciled budget to the MSBA to advance state review; the outcome affects whether the city can keep to the current schedule for a spring vote and subsequent construction timeline.
Davida, an estimator from the SRP team, said the designer's rounded estimate was about $3.70 and the Shawmut Rich partnership/OPM independent construction estimate came in at $3.81 — "about 3% difference" — and that the team will reconcile those numbers at a Dec.…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
