District outlines progress on Midland and Osborne additions, auditorium and roofing work

District facilities staff delivered a detailed update Dec. 2 on capital projects funded by the 2019 bond and transfer-to-capital allocations, including work at Midland and Osborne, the high school performing arts center and the high school gym.

Rob Gamigliano, the district facilities lead, said the Midland connector is fully framed and Osborne’s is expected to be framed by the end of the week. He described the Osborne and Midland additions as factory-built modular construction that required a major craning operation on-site and close coordination with city police to manage traffic. "When they did arrive, we went through a pretty thorough inspection process ... there were some omissions and some errors in the factory," Gamigliano said, citing missing stormwater piping placed within a wall and some fire-rated openings that had to be corrected on site.

Gamigliano also outlined work on the Performing Arts Center (phase 2), including seat replacement, concrete work to improve slopes and access, and plans to begin auditorium lighting and sound installation in mid‑December to mid‑January. He said the district removed seats and prepped the floor as part of phased work and that remaining items include handrails, carpeting, and lighting/sound systems.

On the high school gym, Gamigliano described phased abatement and new flooring installations, noting the district conducted an April test area to develop a plan for the full gym project. He said district staff coordinated with the athletic director to fit multiple court line configurations; "we squeezed a lot into that gym," he said, referring to additional lines including pickleball.

At Osborne the team repaired a long-standing drainage problem by connecting a landlocked courtyard to a storm drain—work the facilities lead said was made possible by provisions included in the 2019 bond. The cafeteria roof (with 12 skylights) was also completed using transfer-to-capital funds.

Gamigliano said some factory omissions extended on-site construction time but insisted safety and code compliance were not compromised: "we weren't willing to sacrifice any of the quality or the safety." He said once roofing at key sites is finished the district will provide an updated timeline for wing completions.

The board asked questions about which items remain in the current transfer-to-capital list; staff said most items identified in the 25–26 budget are complete, with the exception of auditorium lighting and sound pending delivery of parts. District staff said transfer-to-capital allocations will be considered again in development of the 26–27 budget.

The facilities presentation concluded with a reminder that the district must file a New York State Department of Education building condition survey by the March deadline, and that the survey will inform five-year strategic planning and future project prioritization.