Suffolk/Skanska: Lowell High renovation enters phase 4; committee hears budget, schedule and hardware updates

At a May 21 meeting of the Lowell City School Building Committee, Suffolk and Skanska representatives said the school renovation is actively in phase 4 and remains on a schedule that targets full turnover and student move‑in in fall 2027. "So we're actively in phase 4," said Kyle Regis of Suffolk during the presentation.

The project budget was summarized by Kevin Kane of Skanska as "the $418,000,000," a figure that includes a loan order amount added into contingency. Kane said the construction contingency also reflects a $36,000,000 component tied to the loan order and that change order work has reached change order number 45. He noted a $2,000,000 FF&E transfer remains to be returned to the FF&E budget in a future BRR.

Suffolk reported workforce metrics to the committee: just under 28% of construction hours were performed by minority workers, exceeding the project goal of roughly 15%; the female construction workforce was reported at 5.3%, short of a 6.9% project goal. Suffolk also said about 9% of workers on site are Lowell residents.

Committee members raised technical and schedule questions. On front‑door security hardware at Lowell High School, presenters said the original specification was to include center mullions; at one point the submittal changed to vertical rods and pins, and the project is moving to install removable center mullions and new exit devices so doors and frames remain unchanged. Presenters said warranty details for the hardware will be provided to the city and committee after checking which components fall under standard hardware warranties.

A Perkins Eastman field bulletin identified demolition work missed in drawings with an initial Suffolk pricing estimate near $800,000; presenters said they are negotiating subcontractor proposals, using additional competitive pricing, and tracking any time‑and‑materials work daily. Kane said the amount sits within the project's contingency (previously referenced as an $11,000,000 contingency) and that teams are working to minimize net cost impacts.

The committee asked about granite delivery for the west entrance ramp, an item with long lead time. Suffolk said procurement and shipping constraints create a tight window for a mid‑August arrival and a roughly 2–3 week installation, with a target that the work be completed before school begins Aug. 27; the contractor has been "put on notice" to recover the schedule where allowable, including extended shifts and weekend work coordinated with the school.

Skanska also reported a recent soils engineering review in the 1920s building basement: rather than the previously planned 2‑foot excavation and replacement, the engineer found existing soils acceptable with compaction for a reduced 1‑foot removal in areas. That change, Kane said, will substantially reduce the amount of new soil import and disposal and is expected to produce savings versus the earlier worst‑case assumptions.

Why it matters: the schedule and procurement issues for long‑lead items such as granite, and the handling of unforeseen demolition scope, affect the calendar for final finishes and the tight path to the start of school in late August. Project leaders said they will provide warranty details, weekend/shift coordination plans and updated procurement progress at future updates.

Next steps: presenters said weekly updates are available and reminded the committee of a walkthrough for the city council and the school building committee scheduled for May 30. The committee set its next regular meeting for June 25 at 6 p.m. in the mayor's reception room.