High School Capital Project Update

As of the December 2^nd High School Project Committee meeting, the project is approximately two months ahead of schedule, on budget, and all aspects qualify for state funding.

SED has completed is funding level review and found the project to be fully fundable. It has also completed its architectural review and has required a few changes in plans – things like fire escapes, fire hydrants, a sidewalk and a minor modification to an interior wall. We are currently awaiting SED’s engineering review, which could be started in late December and completed in January/February. Bids could be out in February with construction starting in March or April. We originally projected construction starting in June. The major impact is the amount of work that can be completed in the summer of 2010 because there’s a considerable amount of lead time required to fabricate some of the building materials that will be needed in construction. Awarding contracts as early as March or April will mean a greater amount of building materials will be available in the summer rather than consuming summer months in the fabrication stage.

There’s a caveat, nothing as SED is “sure,” but the early indications are that they are moving through the project approval stage must faster than they have reviewed capital projects in the recent past.

Previous Update...

Architects, engineers, project managers, administrators and staff have been busy since the community approved a near $13,934,000 renovation of Spackenkill High School. Plans have been refined to the point where Mr. Fanuele certified at the September project meeting that the design of all spaces will meet the High School’s program needs for the foreseeable future. Click “read more” for a brief overview of progress or go directly to attachments for detailed up-to-date drawings of floor plans…A series of meetings between architects and teachers and other users is complete. Plan specifics for all areas being renovated have been used in updating architectural drawings. Where necessary, other consultants and engineers have been brought in to provide specific technical support. Mr. Fanuele has signed off on revised drawings and specifications from a programmatic/usage perspective.

The District has contracted with an outside firm to provide construction management services. The firm is currently responsible for conducting project meetings, managing the design refinement process, revising cost estimates, and conducting confirming engineering tests where necessary.

The project is on schedule. The next milestone is submission to SED for approval. This submission is scheduled for next month, and it should be ready to submit in the first week of November. SED review is expected to require 6 months, providing sufficient time for the bidding process to take place in April/May and contracts to be awarded in the May/June time frame. Construction is expected to begin at the close of the 2009-10 school year.

The project is on budget. The construction management firm has reviewed plans and specifications as well as the preliminary cost estimates provided by the architect. The firm believes the project as designed can be completed within the allotted budget.

SED funding remains as originally projected. Updated projections will not be expected until the project has been reviewed and prior to the start of bidding and the award of construction contracts.

The project work focus is on completing work required to submit the project to SED in late October or early November. Attention is also shifting to discussions concerning the sequencing and staging of work so that there is a minimum of interruption during the 2010-11 school year.

Mr. Fanuele has been provided with site plan and floor plan drawings for display during parent and community events at the High School. Questions and comments from the public are welcomed…