PEABODY — The Welch Elementary School improvement project is making “good progress” and is on schedule.
That was the takeaway from a presentation made to the Welch School Building Committee by the project manager and construction at their most recent meeting.
“It’s very exciting because we have moved into module seven and eight of the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) process,” said committee Chair Beverley Griffin Dunne. “We only have eight modules so it’s actually moving along so quickly and on schedule and moving deeper into the full construction process and heading towards completion. It’s still two years away, but when you are at this stage with the MSBA everything is pointed toward the final completion portion of the project.”
Andrew Malian, superintendent at Consigli Construction, said they are looking very good with progress and are pleased with where they are at.
Malian showed photos of the construction updates during the meeting, saying that they have completed foundations and have structures installed.
“We are well underway now with all of our steelwork,” Malian said.
They have also completed the deck elevation where the new mechanical equipment will be sitting and have that prepped and ready for placement, which he said would happen by the end of last week.
“This will be a good milestone in order to get the roofer on site and then the roofing installed by the middle of November, so we’re still on schedule and it’s coming along well,” Malian said.
Consigli Construction is also underway with the mechanical roofing and has some of the copper refrigerant lines and sprinkler lines in. They’ve also begun duct work for the air supply for the classrooms.
Inside the building, they have started framing of the exterior wall in preparation to sheath it, so Mr. Malian said they can have the building closed for the winter months.
Chair of the Welch School Building Committee (WSBC), Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne, said it’s nice to see the work that’s gone into this project so far, highlighting the steel work at the entrance.
“To see it on a hard scale is pretty cool. It looks good,” Dunne said.
Dunne also said that in addition to the owners of the project, the architects and construction company having weekly meetings, there will now be a group meeting with the MSBA team that oversees the project every month.
“The reason that it is taking place is because our project is now into module seven (of eight modules) under the MSBA project structure and that’s a big milestone,” Dunne said. “This is confirmation that the project is extremely underway and is moving along very well.”
Christina Dell Angelo, who works for the project manager company Dore + Whittier, said this is a monthly check-in to go over information that gets submitted to the MSBA’s online monthly report to be aware of things including the number of amendments, the number of change orders, and the percentage of goals being submitted on a monthly basis.
“It’s kind of like a checklist that they like to make sure to discuss once a month with the committee,” Dell Angelo said.
Dell Angelo also provided an update on the guaranteed maximum price (GMP), saying that the City Council approved an additional appropriation ($3.5 million) needed for the project last week, and they are now waiting for a final document to send for the mayor’s signature and execution. The project’s original estimate was approximately $30 million. Dunne said the additional appropriation brings the total project cost to $33.5 million.
“Our goal is then to provide that updated executed final GMP to the MSBA for their records as well,” Dell Angelo said.
The next committee meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m.
