Public Building & Site

Gets Projects Update

By Eliza Hallabeck

Within three hours on Tuesday, September 28, the Public Building and Site Commission discussed work on the Newtown High School expansion and renovation project, plans for a community center on the Fairfield Hills campus, and the Newtown Middle School roof project. 

Morganti Construction representative Mark Schweitzer and Fletcher Thompson Inc representative Matt Holst were present at the meeting to report on continuing work on the NHS expansion and renovation. According to Mr Schweitzer, the building’s addition is still on schedule for the revised finish date of November 22, as Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson and NHS Principal Charles Dumais have also reported in the past couple weeks. Mr Schweitzer said November 2 is the new planned date for temporary occupancy, which will give the school roughly three weeks with the space before students start classes in the area.

Detail work in the expansion is starting to come together, as Mr Schweitzer reported. On the first and second floors the ceilings are padded or are expected for completion by the end of the week, along with tile on the new lobby floor.

Mr Schweitzer estimated the addition is about 75 percent complete.

While work on the building was reported as on schedule, Mr Schweitzer said there is a holdup concerning the new track at the school. Turf for the NHS field is down, but, according to Mr Schweitzer, two different sealers are needed for the track.

“The issue came up a few weeks ago to add this extra step to the process,” said Mr Schweitzer. Until then, Mr Schweitzer said, only one sealer was expected to be needed. He did not report an exact date for the completion of the field, but said the fully cured field should be done by the end of October.

Public Building and Site Commission Chair Robert Mitchell said he would like to have the date the field will be usable “as soon as possible.” He also said he wants to make sure the track is the same quality specified in the original plans. Whether the field can be used before the track is completed, Mr Schweitzer said, will need to be looked into.

Work on the school’s gymnasium is also continuing.

“On the east wall there is a dimensional discrepancy,” he said. “Basically, we will have to build two walls on that wall.”

Due to an issue with the supplier for the new bleachers in the gymnasium, Mr Schweitzer said, the school may also need to place temporary bleachers in the new gym until the permanent bleachers are available, but the situation is being monitored.

Board of Education member David Nanavaty told the commission he heard from Mr Dumais the November 2 date is thought of in the same respect that September 1, the original planned occupancy date, was considered.

“I don’t care if you have to hire other subs; that is the drop dead date,” said Mr Mitchell.

During discussion on the NHS greenhouse, Mr Schweitzer said he did not have complete numbers for the commission to discuss during the meeting, but would report back to the commission in the coming weeks.

The original greenhouse on the property was planned to be moved as part of the high school expansion and renovation project, but when the structure was moved, it was rendered unusable. In February, Joe Costa, with the architectural firm Fletcher Thompson, told the Board of Education the old structure had been worth $30,000 to $50,000, and the firm would cover that amount of what he expected would top out at $130,000 to $150,000 for the new structure. If completed during the NHS expansion and renovation project, the greenhouse can also be slated for some state reimbursement. 

Mr Mitchell said the $440,000 estimate now expected for the project is too high, and requested more information on items that were added into the new plans for the greenhouse that were not present in the old structure.

Some of the added items, according to Fletcher Thompson representative Matt Holst, were added to the plans to bring the greenhouse up to building codes. 

Mr Nanavaty voiced concerns with postponing the project, because without the greenhouse, the greenery program at the high school will not be offered to students.

“You haven’t hit them hard enough over the head,” said Mr Mitchell, regarding bringing credits on the project up.

After hearing a report on the plans for the Community Center from O&G Director of Development Jeff Cugno and Ames & Whitaker representative Steve Whitaker, the commission moved for the Parks & Recreation Department to look over the two options on the project, and report back to the commission. If built in full, according to Mr Whitaker, the structure, slated for construction on the Fairfield Hills campus, would cost $18 million. Other alternatives shared with the commission were less costly, but did not include everything the Parks & Recreation Department specified for the plans.

Public Building and Site Commission members Robert Edwards and Thomas Catalina also brought the commission up to date on work for the Newtown Middle School roof project. According to Mr Edwards, the aim is to have the project completed by September 2011, and, if passed by the Board of Education, for work to begin in April.