Building Project
Building Project Update:
The Process Begins!
Everyone is anxious to know when we’ll be putting the first shovel in the ground on our $45 million project at the Har-Bur Middle School/Lewis Mills High School campus. The good news is we’ve put in motion the next steps for the project and set a tentative timeline. The bad news is we need to jump over a number of state hurdles before the project becomes a reality.
Where are we in terms of our architect and construction manager?
Our first item of business is to finalize our contract with the architect and construction manager. We have hired Pinnacle One, a project management company, to review the contracts and make recommendations before we complete this process. We are also having our lawyers conduct a review to ensure that the district includes all necessary items to protect itself. We expect this to be completed by March 15.
What is the building committee’s role, and who are the members of the committee?
The building committee will oversee the project. It will approve documents and maintain the budget. The committee will ensure that we stay within our budget and that steps and changes are approved in a fiscally responsible way and that any changes address specific educational, safety, and health goals. It will also consult with Pinnacle One on various aspects of the construction, where appropriate. A few members have been added to the building committee to round out its expertise.
The committee members are:
Paul Omichinski - Building Committee Chairperson, Peter Turner - Board of Education Chairperson, Paula Schwartz - Superintendent of Schools, David Lenihan - Region 10 Business Manager, David Fortin - Buildings & Grounds Supervisor, Peter Surveski, Lisa Sadler, Tom Rotondo, Michael Branagan, and Jayne Stocker.
When does the building committee meet? Can the public attend?
The committee meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm in the Superintendent’s conference room. The meetings began March 2. It will meet more frequently as the project gets underway or whenever there is a specific item that can’t wait to be addressed. The public is welcome to attend.
When will we see models, including drawings of the façade or auditorium?
As the plans are developed and approved, we will post the designs on the Region 10 Website, www.region10ct.org and display them at the schools. We hope to keep a visual notebook on the construction phases as it unfolds. It will be a wonderful historic record of the project.
Why will it take so long to get the first shovel in the ground?
The state requires multiple approvals before the project can begin, including a wetlands survey and Environmental Protection Agency approval.
How will you collect input on the design phase?.
We have already met with representatives of the various curriculum coordinators to determine their needs so that the architect can fully develop the plans for each room and space. The coordinators and their staff have completed educational requirement sheets and have had initial discussions with the architect, who will turn these ideas into working drawings. The drawings will be reviewed and refined with the staff and administration. We also hope to gather input from students as the project moves forward. The building committee will review and approve these plans before moving on to the next phase.
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