Regional School Building Subcommitte Notes Program Manager and Site Analysis Consultant Will Be Hired
07/08/2004
The Manchester Essex Regional School Building sub-Committee continues to work hard to identify a site for the new middle and high school facilities.
A Request for Qualifications is being drafted to secure the services of a program manager to help the district manage consultants, oversee design and construction, and serve as the owner’s representative throughout the process. The sub-Committee hopes that a project manager will help the District find the best site and develop the best plan possible.
The Building sub-Committee will also issue an Request for Qualifications for an Architectural and Engineering firm soon to move the site analysis and selection process along with maximum expertise and speed. A firm should be ready to begin work in early Fall.
Recently the sub-Committee has heard from professionals who have been involved in school building projects in other districts to learn from their experience. For example, the sub-Committee heard from an eight-year veteran of Lexington’s School Building Committee and a member of the architectural firm for the new Marblehead High School. He stressed the importance of selecting an Architectural and Engineering (A&E) firm whose talents and experience closely matched the District’s specific needs. He also advised our School Building Committee on appropriate architectural and project management fees, good sources for school construction cost estimates, the need for a PAC to advocate for the project and SBA funding.
There is agreement that finding the “right” site is key to the success of creating the new high school and middle school buildings. Critical, and sometimes conflicting, factors in determining the “right” site are: Location - the more equidistant between the two town centers the better
Buildable area -- the more on any one site the better
Site development costs - the wild card with many approaches to managing.
The key objective of the site selection process this time is to make use of the work done previously, but also to take a fresh look at all likely parcels in the most desirable locations.
NEXT MEETING: Monday July 26th at 7:30 p.m. at the Regional High School, Rm. 126.
FOCUS: Finalize RFQ for Site Evaluation & Selection Finalize Project Manager RFQ Discuss evaluation criteria and schedules
COMMENTS & QUESTIONS:
School Building Committee c/o Superintendent’s Office Manchester Essex Regional High School Lincoln Street Manchester, MA 01944
All citizens of Essex and Manchester are invited and welcomed to our meetings. Please come and help us create a new school for our children and a new resource for both of our towns.
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