Salem committee: schematic estimate about $3.8M, MSBA submission set for Dec. 17; city bond vote process outlined

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. 9 technical review and again on Dec. 11. She described contingency assumptions that underlie the estimate, including an 8% design contingency, a 2% construction contingency and 10% escalation through the construction period.

The committee was told the per‑square‑foot figure is roughly $1,100 for the full project, and members clarified that this number includes site work as well as the building. "It's a project," Davida said in response to a question asking whether the figure refers only to building shell costs.

Scope changes that affected the estimate include the city’s request to include the full cost of photovoltaic (PV) installations within the construction budget (instead of leasing the systems) and the addition of a small outbuilding for temporary restrooms and district storage. Margaret said those items raised the construction cost "a little bit, but not a whole lot."

Mayor Dominic outlined the municipal schedule and how the finance steps fit into the public process. He said he plans to file the council orders in January so the matter appears on the Jan. 8 City Council agenda. For the special election the city needs two separate council orders (one to schedule the election and one for ballot language) plus a bond order that requires two separate votes by the council, likely first passage on Jan. 22 and second passage on Feb. 12. Dominic said council referral to committee is likely and that the city anticipates holding the special election on May 5.

On voter requirements, Dominic clarified the difference between a 2½ override and a debt exclusion and how they're voted on: "A 2½ override is a permanent override of the levy... The debt exclusion is a temporary exclusion of the 2½ limitations only for the purposes of the debt taken on for the project," and the debt-exclusion vote passes with a simple majority of ballots cast — "50% plus 1."

Perla and others pressed for a homeowner estimate. Dominic said the committee plans to publish a calculator on the building-committee website so homeowners can estimate local tax impacts, but two variables remain: the MSBA reimbursement percentage and the bond term (for example, 20 vs. 25 years). Margaret said the MSBA assessment of the submitted budget is likely to be known by mid‑January but cautioned that holiday schedules and a heavy February agenda could delay staff review. "We can take the Accenture estimate and plug it into the calculator, and we can revise the calculator if that number changes," she said.

On health and design matters, Rick summarized radon testing in the existing building, saying samples from 10 locations produced an average well below EPA guideline levels; the schematic budget will carry allowances for increased ventilation as mitigation if radon becomes an issue at the new site. Margaret added the team will evaluate a membrane option as an alternative to increased ventilation given the project's net‑zero goals.

Next steps: the team will reconcile the designer and independent estimates in technical sessions on Dec. 9 and present the finalized estimate to the committee Dec. 11 with a formal request to authorize the Dec. 17 MSBA submission. The mayor and finance staff will pursue the city‑council filing in January and the bond‑order votes in late January and early February ahead of a possible May special election.