Saugus middle school project hits $17.5G snag

SAUGUS – Jim Dowd, project manager for Skanska Builders, USA, said he was “not happy” that an additional $17,500 will have to be spent to power pumps in the Belmonte Middle School auditorium, and Belmonte Middle School Building Committee member Arthur Grabowski let him know he was not happy either.?How did that happen?” asked Grabowski during Monday?s meeting. “How did you get pumps into a building and not have power to them?”Dowd said it “boggles” his mind that the issue was overlooked since it was a main component of the project that was to prevent flooding. Dowd also noted it was the first part of the project discussed when he interviewed to become project manager three years ago.Dowd said the engineer of the project was at fault.?We will explore if there?s ability to regain costs from the architect and engineer through errors and omissions …” he said. “It will not be an easy resolution.”So far $13.9 million of the $18.9 million project budget has been spent with $172,000 remaining in contingency money. Dowd estimated an additional $166,000 in potential future change orders.Additional change items discussed included money for the pumps, along with $6,700 to power hot water heaters, $11,000 for added piping in a utility tunnel, $15,000 for wheelchair lift shafts and slabs, $15,000 for entrance railings and $24,500 for slabs at the vestibules.?I said at the last meeting that we would spend all of the contingency, and we?re doing that,” said Dowd. “We?re trying to keep it at bay, but we will end up spending all of the contingency, if not we?ll just have a little bit left over.”In other business, Dowd said there?s been “a lot of activity” at the Belmonte Middle School since students left for summer vacation.Dowd and Janine Murdoch of construction management firm Consigli took members through a slideshow of current work on the repair project.In the music room, the new ceiling and wheelchair lift are currently being built while a new wheelchair lift is being built for the auditorium. The main entrance of the school is being completely rebuilt and there will also be a new entrance from there to the main office.?There?s a lot going on,” said Dowd. “Consigli is doing a great job. They?re stuffing a large amount of work into a small amount of time.”Dowd also said John Campos, the new architect from Fletcher Thompson, has been great in getting up to speed on the project, but was still critical of the firm for not responding to a recent letter sent on behalf of the committee outlining its concerns about closing its Boston office.