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Medford committee reviews six refined high-school designs and demands detailed cost breakdowns
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Summary
Architects presented six updated design options for Medford High School; the building committee passed a resolution requiring granular alternative costs (parking, pool, auditorium sizes) and set a timetable for cost estimates and MSBA feedback ahead of selecting a preferred option in June.
Chair Jenny Graham opened the April 27 meeting of the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee and turned the floor to the project design team to present six refined alternatives for a new or renovated Medford High School.
Architects from SMMA described options ranging from a full code upgrade and heavy phased renovation of the existing building to several addition/renovation schemes and entirely new-build (D) concepts. The team emphasized program adjacencies, circulation and grading strategies, and how each option would handle temporary swing space during construction. Several schemes that had previously called for dozens of modular classrooms were revised to eliminate modulars in later iterations, though some early-phase options still require temporary modular swing space.
The committee adopted a resolution directing the project team and cost estimators to provide detailed alternate pricing in the next estimate round. The resolution calls for: base estimates that show surface parking counts and the net change in playing fields, alternate pricing for a parking garage and for a field-over-parking configuration; base and alternate pool pricing (existing pool code renovation, pool replacement that preserves competitive features, and a pool sized for expanded learn-to-swim programming); and alternate costings for auditorium capacities (500, 750, 800 and 1,000 seats) so the committee can compare reimbursement impacts. The motion was approved in roll call, with 14 votes in favor, 0 opposed and 1 abstention.
SMMA told the committee it cannot produce final cost comparisons until the committee settles probable square-footage changes and until the MSBA’s comments on the Preliminary Design Program (PDP) are received. The design team said updated drawings will be sent to cost estimators on the Wednesday after the meeting and that the committee should expect revised estimates on May 20, with a fuller financial review scheduled for May 27.
"We don't yet have updated costs for all six alternatives," the SMMA presenter said. "That is because we're likely voting tonight to reduce some amount of square footage, and we're still waiting on the MSBA feedback from the PDP submission."
Why it matters: the committee must weigh educational goals, site constraints and community amenities against likely MSBA reimbursement and the city's debt capacity. The committee set a June 10 deadline to select a preferred option and plans to submit a preferred schematic to the Massachusetts School Building Authority on June 18.
Next steps: the committee will receive cost-estimator reports on May 20, hold a financial presentation May 27 and continue public engagement through multiple community meetings in May and June.
