PEABODY — The city is wasting no time seeking a project manager to oversee additions and renovations to Welch Elementary School.
Advertisements seeking project manager services are posted and requesting applicants to respond to the city Office of the Purchasing Agent by Feb. 13, 4 p.m. Details on the school project can be obtained by sending an electronic mail request to [email protected].
Peabody secured Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) approval last October to begin planning to renovate or replace the Welch.
The 50-year-old school needs its heating system and windows replaced and other upgrade work designed to make the school compatible with 21st century academics.
The City Council last September approved $1.2 million to hire an architect and project manager to complete the study of the school and examine pros and cons related to renovating the Welch or building a new school.
Under the MSBA guidelines, the state would reimburse the city as much as 55 percent for construction costs.
Planning for the Welch work is moving forward less than two months after the MSBA rejected two other local school building projects — Peabody High and the Center School.
City officials responded to the mid December rejection by announcing plans to file Statements of Interest (SOI) for four school projects in 2020 with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
The projects are the West and South Elementary Schools, the high school and Center School with proposals aimed at submitting plans to the MSBA to get the high school and Center accepted into the MSBA Core program. The deadline for filing is April 8.
The high school has inadequate heat and air flow and science labs space need updating. Center School’s problems include a leaky roof and the lack of dedicated space for a library (currently located in a classroom), gymnasium and cafeteria.
The city plans to file Statements of Interest with MSBA seeking to get the West and South schools accepted into the agency’s Accelerated Repair program to upgrade and/or replace the existing roofs.
The Accelerated Repair program’s deadline is Friday, Feb. 14.
