South Kingstown council gets construction update as Curtis Corner demolition options advance

Construction teams updated the South Kingstown Town Council on Feb. 9 about progress at the new South Kingstown High School and the status of the Curtis Corner athletic program. Kate Turner, owner's project manager with Left Field, said steel erection has begun on the academic tower and visual progress will be evident to residents who drive past the site. "We are starting to go vertical," Turner said, noting floors two and three are in place in the tower and roofing work will follow.

Mark Moore of Gilbane described the near-term schedule and potential community impacts. He said foundations and concrete slabs are complete and that the next major phase will be steel erection and elevated slab pours. Moore cautioned that some concrete pours in colder weather may require extended finishing times and could push work later into evenings on a small number of occasions, but he said the contractor does not anticipate overnight shifts. "Sometimes that's run 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 kind of thing," he said, adding crews are planning limited lighting and equipment and that the most disruptive activity is expected to be four nights at most.

Council members pressed managers on the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and budget exposure. Turner said the GMP with Gilbane covers the work "as currently designed" and that, absent an approved change in scope, Gilbane cannot increase the GMP. Town staff and the project team told the council the program is currently about $2 million under its master price agreement.

Turner and the team also outlined options for Curtis Corner Middle School, where the building committee rebid demolition work and received pricing that showed full demolition could be approximately $1,000,000 less than a partial demolition and ensuing renovation. Staff said RIDE (the Rhode Island Department of Education) indicated it would reimburse demolition costs but would not reimburse renovation or a new field house. Project staff said the partial-demolition option left the existing structure in a condition that would not be occupiable without significant and costly renovations; renovating that portion was estimated to be roughly $5,000,000.

Council members asked about athletic program impacts, storage for equipment and where visiting teams would stage without a field house. Staff said program leaders, the superintendent and athletics advisors are engaged in planning and that the demolition bidding and recommendation process will run through the building committee and return to council for a decision. Bids for the demolition package are due Feb. 23; the building committee is expected to review recommendations on March 5, and council action is expected on March 9.

What happens next: staff will return with demolition bid results and recommendations at the building committee meeting in March and to the full council on March 9; managers will continue community outreach to affected abutters about any necessary after-hours work.