PEABODY — School Committee member Beverly Griffin Dunne provided an update on the project for a new Peabody Veterans Memorial High School building at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We’ve taken a big step forward in the project and in the process,” she shared.
Dunne said they had received five applications from companies who would like to be the project manager. She said three went onto the final round, and the selection working group made a recommendation of one candidate, one company, to do the work.
“Right now, we are in negotiations with them, with the City, to become the owners project manager on the high school project… The company that was chosen was actually very, very good. And we’re not allowed to say anything yet because the negotiations are ongoing. Once that process takes place, and we have an OPM on board, we will move forward and do the same process to bring the design team, which is the architectural firm,” Dunne said.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt said he was “very encouraged by the quality of the applicants.”
“They were all entities that have done major school projects across Massachusetts, projects that we’re all familiar with, that we know of. I was hoping that we’d have a number of companies interested, and thankfully, it played out that way,” Bettencourt said.
He thanked Dunne and the team who did the interviews, which included: PVMHS Principal Brooke Randall, Purchasing Agent Dan Doucette, Chief Financial Officer Sam Rippin, Facilities Manager Jim Politano, Ward 3 Councilor Stephanie Peach, Ward 5 Councilor Dave Gamache, Finance Director Mike Gingras, Superintendent Dr. Josh Vadala, and Matt Genzale, a resident and father who runs a construction company.
