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OPM: school project nearing weather-tight stage as committee discusses tours, FF&E timeline
Summary
The owner's project manager and Alita reported exterior glazing, flooring and casework work moving quickly and said they expect to be weather-tight by year-end; committee members discussed tours, a meeting-schedule shift, and a public question about flag lighting and a nearby tower.
The owner's project manager told the School Building Committee that construction work on the new school is advancing across exterior and interior scopes and that the project is on pace to be weather-tight by the end of the year.
Alita, introduced by the OPM, described the near-term construction schedule: masons finishing brick work, glass installation following, roofing follow-up tasks, ongoing classroom and corridor flooring, installation of casework beneath classroom windows, and kitchen rough-in with one walk-in freezer already installed.
Why it matters: weather-tight status before winter reduces risk of interior damage and keeps the project on a schedule that supports occupancy planning and FF&E procurement. The OPM said the furniture bid had been extended to Nov. 29 to accommodate questions and help ensure pricing comes in within budget.
Committee members encouraged site tours (noting Rogers as an example) and discussed a possible shift of regular SBC meeting time from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. after the holiday break; staff said the schedule change will be communicated to committee members by email. Members praised student tours of the new building as well-received and said tours are being tailored to visitor groups.
A member of the public asked whether the flag outside the site is being lit at night and raised a question about what will happen to a nearby tower or windmill; committee members said they would address flag lighting and that the tower's history appears to predate current board documents and is primarily a school committee matter with possible options of repurposing or removal.
Representative quotations: Alita said construction teams were "moving through the building" and that the team is "targeting as the end of the year to get all the glass in fully done, buttoned up, and tight so that by the end of the year, we are weather tight." A resident asked about flag lighting: "If not, we ought to be taking them down." The Chair responded, "You are 100% correct... we're gonna make sure we get on that."
What comes next: staff will confirm FF&E bid results after Nov. 29 and circulate an updated budget summary to the co-chairs and committee members; the committee adjourned after completing agenda votes.
