Concord committee: new middle school near closeout with more than $7 million remaining; first-year energy use higher than modeled

The Concord School Building Committee on Thursday reviewed final construction closeout work at the new middle school and a first-year energy-performance check that showed actual energy use above original modeling.

Paul, the project OPM, told the committee that punch-list work is nearly complete and that commissioning adjustments made over April break mean "everything is operating per design under normal operating" conditions. He said most outstanding items are exterior landscaping and other outdoor work that the team plans to finish after school ends on June 17. "We're down to the final 20 items," Paul said, describing a week-by-week schedule to close them out.

The financial update presented in the meeting showed administrative and architectural fees largely expended, with the presenter stating the project currently sits with "over $7 million left at the end of the project." Technology funding includes a line of $33,516 earmarked for the media center setup. Committee members did not contest the presenter’s summary and agreed to track remaining invoices and a small change order (No. 81) of $1,746 tied to commissioning work.

Commissioning and warranty issues were the other focus. Paul said two generator-mode programming items require one more test, and a small localized recirculation water heater serving a science lab has been repeatedly failing; the plumbing contractor (Arujo) and the manufacturer are working through repairs and warranty coverage. On the roof, a condensing unit with two compressors experienced a failure of one compressor; parts are pending and there has been a short dispute about labor charges the contractor now appears likely to cover. Paul said the unit continues to provide heating and cooling on the remaining compressor while the parts situation is resolved.

The project team also described several minor remaining change-order items: updated drawings and pricing for an ADA-compliant final crosswalk solution (the temporary ramp is not fully ADA-compliant), a plan to close the rollup door on the septic-shed and replace it with a sealed wall kit to avoid winter infiltration and frozen pipes, and a low-cost fix for a hand-dryer that occasionally blows paper towels from a nearby bin.

Energy use intensity (EUI) drew extended discussion. Paul said the model target for the building was roughly 25 kBtu per square foot per year but that first-year actuals run near ~35 kBtu/sf/yr. He described four major drivers—weather, plug loads, occupancy schedules, and in-service equipment performance—and showed industry examples (Mass Save benchmarking) where initial operating-year EUIs are higher than modeled targets and then converge after tuning and monitoring. "Nothing to panic over here," Paul said, adding that continued tuning, meter-level review and BMS trend analysis typically bring performance closer to modeled expectations.

Committee members asked for a clear commissioning 'start' date so a one-year, quality-controlled EUI measurement can be anchored and proposed that the town (CMLP) and school maintenance staff collaborate on the calculation. Charlie Parker and Matt offered to help the town do an in-house one-year measurement if the BMS and utility meters are available; the committee asked Paul to ensure BMS trends and the 29 installed meters are accessible to maintenance staff and to provide a recommended start date.

As part of the transition planning, members reiterated that after closeout the school department and its maintenance staff will assume ongoing responsibility for the building; the committee will finish documentation and then close. The group also scheduled a "hugs and handshakes" celebration for Aug. 20 at 4:30 p.m. to thank volunteers, consultants (SMMA, Lero, CTA) and town staff.

In public comment, Wilson thanked volunteers and cited the committee’s fiscal stewardship: "Literally $7 million under budget," he said, calling the project a "home run" for the town and noting thousands of students will benefit. The committee closed the meeting after agreeing to coordinate remaining closeout items and to set the one-year measurement timeline.

Actions recorded: the committee approved the April 16 meeting minutes by roll call; Peter Falis recorded an abstention while the remaining roll-call voters registered yes. The project team will pursue the outstanding punch-list schedule, carry out remaining commissioning tests, track warranty repairs and the small change orders through the PCO process, and return with confirmed BMS trends and a proposed start date for the one-year EUI measurement.