West Warwick council approves Alder Construction as manager-at-risk for three school projects

West Warwick’s Town Council voted unanimously March 3 to select Alder Construction as the construction manager at risk for three major school projects: the Maisie Quinn project, renovations and additions at West Warwick High School and an elevator addition at Horgan School.

Kaye Turner, owner’s project manager with Left Field, told the council the town has secured stage-2 approval and a memorandum of agreement with the state, which secures reimbursement for the major projects. Turner said bids for the Pam Street alternative-learning renovation arrived that day and that the work is scheduled to open in fall 2026. The three larger projects are moving through design development and are planned to proceed together under a single construction manager to achieve shared savings, she said.

Council discussion recapped a special building-committee meeting in which members interviewed three firms and returned to a follow-up session before making a recommendation. A council member said the committee wanted to avoid a rushed decision and praised Alder Construction’s on-site responsiveness as a deciding factor. A representative for Alder told the council the firm has worked with West Warwick in the past and expects senior staff to be hands-on throughout the projects.

The council approved the resolution without recorded dissent. The town will next bring bid approvals and contract documents back to the council as procurement steps proceed and as state reimbursement milestones are met.