GPS Capital Projects Update
Keeping you updated on Greenwich Public Schools projects
A Message From GPS
The GPS Capital Projects Update is a newsletter issued periodically in order to provide updates on major projects to the Greenwich Community across the District. On-going information is uploaded to the facilities projects page on the Greenwich Public Schools website on a weekly basis.
Thank you!
Dr. Toni Jones, Superintendent of Schools
Blaize Levitan, Chief Operating Officer
Western Middle School Fields
Finally! It is exciting to announce that the Western Middle School Soil Remediation Project is opening the public comment portion this Friday, December 16. A link will be sent out in order for all stakeholders to provide comments to the regulators on this important project. These comments will go directly to CT DEEP.
Between now and January, there will be another comment portion for CT DEEP, and Public Hearings are currently being scheduled for January.
Langan and AECOM have joined forces as WMS moves to the next steps of soil remediation. AECOM managed the construction bids and scoring in overseeing the high school project, and GPS is excited to have their expertise join Langan as bid documents and other important work moves forward.
So far, initial seed money was funded at $2,000,000 and much of that has been spent on numerous requests for soil testing, analysis, and field design work. There was an additional $8,000,000 funded in the spring of 2022 so GPS has the funds to get started on this important work. The cost estimate is +/- $20,000,000.
Central Middle School Update
The Central Middle School Building Committee has been hard at work. We will provide some concrete answers to the public-based questions we have received over the past few months:
1. Where is CMS in the process right now?
The committee has $2,500,00 funded for the first phase of the project, which was approved in the spring of 2022, to design according to the Board of Education-approved educational specifications.
The committee has selected SLAM Architectural and are working to get the contract finalized for this first phase. Phase I is to prepare for initial design submission to the Office of School Construction. The state office only takes submissions in June. The design of the building must happen first before the committee will know anything about the final cost.
2. Is the full cost to design the building $2,500,000?
The next step, Phase II, which is when the project goes to full design, out to bid to be built, construction and oversight, and all the way through closing of the project once the students are in the new building (several years away). Those funds are requested in the current capital request, which is part of the budget process right now for FY24 (Phase II).
The total cost for the design phase is $1,452,000, which includes $497,000 for schematic design and $955,000 for design development, per the SLAM architect bid.
3. Did the project cost go from $67,000,000 to $85,000,000?
The estimate is just that, an estimate. No drawings or designs exist yet for this project. In the spring of 2022, the estimate was based on 110,000 square feet at $600 per square foot. For the FY24 Budget, the estimate is based on 115,311 square feet at $700 per square foot, plus the furniture, fixtures, and equipment, which is estimated to add $5,000,000.
However, until a project actually goes out to bid, the true cost is not known. Given the volatility of the market coming out of the pandemic, the cost could go up or down. The building must be designed before the committee can go out to bid.
4. Where did the number $700 per square feet come from?
During the bid process, the CMS Building Committee had the foresight to request each company responding to the bid to share what they believed the cost per square foot would be for the construction costs. There were six responders, and the range was from $600-$796 per square foot. The average of the six cost estimates was $698 a square foot. Also, if the lowest and the highest estimate were omitted, the cost remained $698 a square foot. Hence, this is why the capital request is set at $700.
5. Why is the building adding square feet?
The current building was built in the 1950s before special education and English Language Learner programs existed. Buildings in 2022 must be built to meet the needs of modern school programs and have evolved greatly in the past 70 years. While some of the classrooms in the 1950s were built at 600 square feet, classrooms today are expected to be at 800 square feet.
The current average classroom size is approximately 650 square feet. Today’s educational practices with enhanced technology and an average classroom student occupancy of 24 students, requires a minimum of 800 square feet
6. Who worked with the teachers, staff, administrator, community, and Board of Education to develop the Educational Specifications?
Construction Solutions Group (CSG) has a team which does this work across Connecticut and they met with numerous stakeholders from the schools and broader community to provide input on a 21st century educational specification for CMS.
7. Where can the public find information about the project?
Detailed and update information for the project, including agendas, minutes, and supporting documents can be found on the webpage dedicated to the project.
Old Greenwich School Update
The Old Greenwich School building committee has been formulated and they are in the process of selecting their architect after a Request for Proposal was issued.
The next steps include the architect working with the building committee to design the building, according to the educational specifications approved by the Board of Education.
You can find the minutes and supporting documents on their webpage dedicated to this project.
Julian Curtiss School Update
The Julian Curtiss School building committee is hard at work and has started meeting regularly.
JC has several major projects which will be taking place at the building. Most notably, an elevator is a top priority which will be one of the first major components to design and construct.
The HVAC will begin this spring, with the anticipation that in September of 2023, JC will open with a completely cooled building for the first time since it was built a century ago.
You can find the minutes and supporting documents on their webpage dedicated to this project.
GHS Soil Remediation
In coordination with the Department of Public Works, GPS recently gave an update on the Greenwich High School environmental remediation project.
Field 3 work commenced in June 2022 and will continue into the fall and winter. The bulk of excavation work was completed during the school recess. The remaining work includes replacement of the artificial turf for Field. Field 3 and a portion of Fields 2 and 4 will remain inaccessible during Fall 2022.
The details of remaining cleanup activities planned for Field 2 and Field 5 and several smaller areas located west of the school building are still being discussed by the Town, DEEP, and EPA, and are pending regulatory approval.
The school continues to be safe and most of the parking spaces and athletic fields are available for use during the school year.
ISD ADA Playground
New equipment underlay, and a new ramp to the playground have been completed at International School at Dundee to provide an ADA play space at ISD. This was a major project last summer and our students are enjoying the fruits of our labor everyday!
The second phase of the playground renovation is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2023 that will include new age-appropriate playscape with a rubber ground cover.
North Street School
North Street School is ready for their new HVAC once school lets out in June 2023. The equipment has arrived, but this is a major project which can only be completed when the building is not being utilized. Preparation and preliminary work started in the summer of 2022 and the project should be fully completed in the summer of 2023, ready for staff and students upon their return in September of 2023.
Security Upgrades
At the start of the school year GPS went forward with an interim appropriation to make some much needed upgrades to several of our GPS buildings. All of the wires have been run for additional cameras across the District, and eight of nine buildings have completed camera installations. The District has installed an additional 81 cameras.
The installer contract to electrify and secure front entrances has been finalized and GPS is waiting on some equipment to arrive, which has been slow due to supply chain issues. The work will immediately commence once supplies are in hand.
GHS Entry Way Security Project
The Greenwich High School Entry Project bid came in over budget, so the full BOE provided guidance for the building committee to reduce the size of the project, while also making sure that safety stayed a priority. The committee has gone through a re-design process and are going forward with an interim appropriation request for $500,000 to have the full funding to go out to bid and get the project started.
GHS Chillers
The Greenwich High School chiller and cooling tower projects have been multi-year projects which can only happen during the summer months. To date, approximately $1,148,731 (cooling tower) and $1,164,731 (chiller phase1), totaling $2,313,462.00, has been spent on the completed first two phases.
To date approximately $3,572,700 has been encumbered or spent on the Chiller 2022-23 Project, with the remaining funds to be completed this coming summer of 2023.
Greenwich Public Schools
Email: communications@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: greenwichschools.org
Location: 209 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 625-7415
Facebook: facebook.com/GreenwichPublicSchools
Twitter: @GPSDistrict