Following is a budget and schedule update for the project.
Project Remains on Budget
The project is nearing the end of the Design Development phase where all aspects of the interior and exterior of the building are finalized. A new project estimate performed in August revealed that at the 90% Construction Documents milestone, the project was $1.2M under budget.
The Building Committee was thus able to add back $1,028,576 of items that were previously removed from the project (including exterior masonry design elements, sustainability items, central spine enhancements). The remaining $189,698 was added to the design contingency budget.
A handful of project features remain on the ‘Alternate’ list and are not currently included in the project. If the budget allows later on in the project, the Building Committee may choose to add back ‘Alternates’. They include: the Minuteman bikeway connector ramp, lighting for the new athletic fields (conduits remain in the project so lighting can be added at a later date), and a traffic light at Mill Street.
The next milestone in the estimating budget process will be in October when the 100% Construction Documents are sent out to bid.
No Acceleration of Project Schedule
Preliminary site work for the new school began in April and Phase 1 of construction of the new building is scheduled to begin in October. Due to COVID-19, students and staff were not on site last spring and will not be on site at the beginning of the school year. Although the possibility was examined, it was determined that the schedule cannot be accelerated. The first 15 month phase of construction is focused on building two new wings on the front lawn, leaving the existing school untouched and fully operational (a benefit of the chosen design).
Over the summer, changes were made to how the building can be accessed.
Work continues while following all state and local COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Check our COVID-19 Update page for more details.
New temporary home for Menotomy Preschool complete
Renovation of the Parmenter School finished in August on schedule and on budget. Menotomy Preschool has moved out of the high school and into the Parmenter School where they will stay until the new high school is finished.
