Refined HS Project May Drop Gym Expansion

By Eliza Hallabeck &

John Voket

Officials heard about three options — potential next steps for the Newtown High School expansion project. With the current bids expiring on October 26, the Board of Education plans to decide what option to choose at its regular November 5 meeting.

Two of three options school board members will consider in early November leave a controversial gymnasium improvement as is. Much of the discussion among more than 30 town officials attending a special meeting of the Board of Education on Wednesday, October 22, centered around the athletic facilities, including an expansion and reconfiguration of the existing gym.

Members of the Boards of Finance and Selectmen, the Public Building and Site Commission, and the Legislative Council attended the meeting to hear and share information.

Construction management representatives from the Morganti Group and project architects from Fletcher Thompson were on hand to present three options the school board will consider in an attempt to deliver the necessary educational space the district requires under a previously approved $38.8 million budget appropriation.

The original high school expansion proposal was approved by voters last April for $38.8 million, but, after bids came in over budget by more than $6 million, an additional appropriation request was put to voters and turned down October 7.

On October 8, the school board decided to postpone a decision on taking the next step until meeting with invited representatives from several other leading boards and commission. After hearing opinions from those officials Wednesday, Chair Elaine McClure said she expects the school board will consider all options before the next meeting, “to see what the parameters are, and what we are facing.”

Morganti’s Ed Barrett, construction manager for the project, presented options facing the Board of Education by explaining that he and Joe Costa of Fletcher Thompson reviewed the high school expansion project to refine possible components that might be removed, and what impact those removals would have on the project.

“These are kind of the big ticket items we have been looking at,” said Mr Barrett, adding that all three options include rebidding the project. Bidding for the NHS expansion project is overseen by the Morganti Group.

Since the project is broken down into different parts, each part may be bid by a different contractor to complete that portion of the project for a certain amount of money. Since bids were first opened, the district had 90 days to hold its bidders at quoted rates for the project.

The first option calls for minor changes to the project, according to Mr Barrett. Value management would be used to bring the cost down, and rebidding would occur for the entire project. This would also call for the athletic fields, tennis courts, and other parts of the project to remain alternates.

Mr Barrett said by approving that option, construction could be started by February 2009. But the construction manager said he did not believe that option would reduce the budget enough to meet the approved $38.8 million appropriation.

The second option would include rebidding all parts of the project. Value management would be used, existing options like athletic field would remain alternates, and construction for the gymnasium, a new stairway, and a bridge between the exiting facility and new addition would be eliminated.

The bridge and stairway, according to Superintendent of School Janet Robinson, were added to alleviate overcrowding and congestion in the existing hallways. She reminded the officials that the current high school was built for only 1,000 students, and the high school today is functioning at 107 percent capacity.

Mr Barrett added that the bridge would also help promote circulation and ventilation in the new addition, possibly cutting heating and cooling costs in the long run.

Mt Barrett said if the board was to approve option two, “We could start construction some time in April.”

The third option includes complete rebidding. Like both previous options, current alternates on the project would remain alternates, and the gym, bridge and several other new components including the staircase and bridge would become alternates. This option, if approved, would potentially see shovels in the ground by next April, Mr Barrett said.

If bids on the third option come in under budget, the alternates would be prioritized for possible inclusion.

“The goal would be to get that number down to get work started on the classrooms,” said Mr Barrett when explaining the third option.

Both Mr Barrett and Mr Costa said they have not yet seen material costs decreasing enough to expect a significantly lower outcome from rebidding.

“We believe there would be some benefit to it,” said Mr Barrett, “but we do not know what that would be just yet.”

Mr Costa explained that if the new construction on the gymnasium is eliminated from the expansion project, the current gym would remain as it is now.

Following the meeting, finance board Chair John Kortze said no matter what decision the school board proposes, the town might still be challenged to secure affordable bonding to cover the $38.8 million.

“Times are tough and getting tougher,” said Mr Kortze, who works by day in the banking and securities field. “The lending landscape remains the same,” he added, referring to the general lack of capital or measurably higher rates municipalities and other government entities are currently paying to secure bonding for capital and other projects.

Legislative Council member Will Rodgers, who is a candidate for the 106th District state legislative seat, said he believes voters who turned down the recent $6 million referendum could have voted against it because they did not agree with the project from the beginning. He added that it is unreasonable to consider changing the project because of a failed referendum.

“I would hate to see us rush to change the scope of the project immediately,” Mr Rodgers said. “It seems to me that rebidding is an option that might spare us that exercise.”