LYNN — The Pickering Middle School Building Committee met Wednesday evening to review budget figures, construction progress, and plans for a steel topping-off ceremony, reporting that the project is now 34% complete with 96% of the budget committed.
In terms of cash flow, project director of LeftField Project Management, Lynn Stapleton, stated that, “We are at an actual spent to date of $64,242,757. We’re tracking behind our project, just due to the delay in the year’s construction schedule.”
The committee was also informed that a project funding agreement amendment has been submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for review.
Project manager of Consigli Construction, Brandon Moseley, shared updated photos and drone footage highlighting progress on structural steel. The crane has been relocated from its original northwest position to a new location outside the building footprint, allowing crews to continue working back toward the temporary parking and trailer area.
The steel topping-off ceremony is scheduled for March 20. “It is a big milestone for the project,” Craig DiCarlo, senior project manager of LeftField Project Management, said. Because the ceremony will take place on an active construction site, “instead of being open to the public, this event is gonna be by invite only.”
The crane is expected to leave the site by April once major steel components are installed, with additional detailing to follow.
Concrete work is also advancing. The second-floor slab placement is “trending towards mid-March,” possibly earlier depending on the weather, DiCarlo said. Under-slab utilities at the first-floor level began this week and are expected to be completed by mid- to late April.
During the meeting, members of the committee also addressed a report of odors inside the existing school building earlier that day. “Some teachers notified, I believe, the city who then called us immediately on the project team that there were some odors in the school,” Moseley said.
The team investigated using carbon monoxide monitors and personal gas detection equipment. “What we did find is a potential source was a temporary heater, (it) seemed to have a fuel issue and might have been a little smellier than normal,” Moseley explained. “So we immediately shut that off, pulled that out of service.”
Classrooms were ventilated, and Moseley said they would continue monitoring the situation.
Plans for a time capsule are also moving forward. The capsule will be installed in the main lobby beneath the learning stair. A students ‘Leadership Club’ will research and select items for inclusion over the next year, with a goal of sealing it in summer 2027.
Reflecting on the project’s visible progress, Mayor Jared Nicholson told the committee, “We know we’ve been doing a lot of this project for many years, and it’s very exciting that the community can now see that progress happening before their eyes,” Nicholson stated. “…very excited to celebrate the milestone with you all in a couple weeks.”
