The project entered the Design Development phase in June 2019. During this phase, the design becomes more detailed and a new cost estimate is done. A first look in November showed a gap of $29.5M between the Design Development estimate and the project budget; further reconciliation reduced the difference to $24.7M. Over the course of five meetings, the Committee used a combination of value engineering, design modifications, and scope changes to reduce this gap, exploring items ranging in cost from $6,000 to over $4 million.
In the coming weeks, the design team will submit the Design Development documents to the MSBA for review while continuing to prepare construction documents. As additional details of the design are finalized, two more estimates will be performed (~ April 2020 and July 2020). Both estimates will be subject to the same value engineering process as required by the MSBA. If either estimate is higher than the approved budget, the Building Committee will again need to determine how to close the gap. Project pre-work is still anticipated to begin in mid-February and construction in October 2020.
Read the full press release.
Following are highlights of the changes that were made to the project. Dollar values represent the overall total for each category, not just for the items listed.
Logistics, Sequencing, Phasing – $3.2M
- Reduce phasing contingency and Construction Manager’s overhead and mark-ups.
Site – $5M
- Remove lights for the new athletic fields. (Lighting conduits and footings, artificial turf surface remain. Existing Peirce Field turf and lights remain.)
- Eliminate Minuteman Bikeway connector ramp.
- Eliminate the east staircase and ramp connecting Mass. Ave. to athletic fields.
- Eliminate Mill St. and Millbrook traffic light.
- Reduce size of the new exterior athletic toilet facility.
- Small adjustments to parking counts.
- Eliminate exterior batting cages.
- Modify specifications for paving and concrete surfaces.
- Reduce site plantings and benches.
Exterior – $6.4M
- Change exterior brick and material selection.
- Reduce floor-to-floor heights (removes 67 auditorium seats, leaving 833 seats).
- Eliminate mechanical roof-top screens.
- Eliminate roof deck outdoor science classroom.
- Modify window sizes and styles.
- Lower some program space ceiling heights.
- Remove the decorative etching of Collomb House from the learning courtyard glass wall.
Interior – $2.6M
- Reduce height of corridor tile from 7’ to 5’.
- Reduce Fusco façade reuse to Black Box theater lobby entrance only.
- Modify selections for interior walls and flooring.
- Modify lightwell and skylight designs.
- Reduce casework in daycare and preschool.
Sustainability – $1.4M
- Eliminate exterior sunshades.
- Eliminate triple-pane glazing and additional insulation.
- Modify Electric Vehicle (EV) ready and photovoltaic (PV) plans.
Mechanical – $6.1M
- Reduce the number of geothermal wells (maintaining the project commitment to be fossil fuel free).
- Replace centralized Aircuity CO2 monitoring system with local CO2 monitoring devices.
- Replace copper feeder cables and bussing with aluminum.
- Eliminate food waste digester in cafeteria.