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The City of Lowell submitted a successful statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for Lowell High School in April 2014. Since that time, the City has progressed to Module VII of the process, which is Construction. The City hired the Owner's Project Manager, Skanska USA Building, Inc., in April 2016. The Architect, Perkins Eastman, was hired in July 2016. The Construction Manager, Suffolk Construction Co. Inc., was hired in July 2019
During the Feasibility Study, the district, and its team of OPM Skanska and designer Perkins Eastman collaborated with the MSBA to generate an initial space summary, document existing conditions, establish design parameters, develop and evaluate alternatives, and recommend the most cost effective and educationally appropriate solution to the MSBA Board of Directors. The Feasibility Study is broken into two parts the Preliminary Design Program (PDP). The PDP submission was made to the MSBA in February 2017. The preferred option voted on in June 2017 has been changed to a downtown option per City Council vote. The revised PSR is currently underway targeting a submission to the MSBA in August 2018 with a push to meet June 2018 MSBA Board of Directors meeting.
On February 2, 2018, the MSBA hosted a working meeting with City of Lowell elected officials and representatives to discuss options to be investigated, pool, schedule, feasibility study budget and communication plan between the MSBA and the City. The MSBA gave a definitive answer that a pool is not reimbursable under their program.
On June 27, 2018, the MSBA voted to approve the City of Lowell to proceed into schematic design for an addition and renovation project at the Lowell High School, contingent upon the City gaining full ownership, control, and exclusive use of the entire site, including the adjacent property by eminent domain.
The Schematic Design was completed in January 2019. The Schematic Design and Estimates were submitted to the MSBA on February 20, 2019. The Lowell City Council appropriated $343,399,220 for the on May 7, 2019 for the Lowell High School project. On June 7, 2019, the City entered into a Project, Scope, and Budget Agreement with the MSBA for a construction cost budget of $270,444,856 within an overall project budget of $343,399,220. Suffolk Construction was hired as the Construction Manager in July 2019. On November 13, 2020, the MSBA and the City executed a Project Funding Agreement for a Total Project Budget of $343,399,220. After the Project bid in Spring of 2021 the City signed a revised Project Funding Agreement with the MSBA in the amount of $381,967,231 in February of 2024.
Design Development took place from June 2019 through January 2020 and was formally submitted to the MSBA on February 28, 2020. 60% Construction Documents were developed January through August 2020 and were formally submitted to the MSBA on September 25, 2020. 90% Construction Documents completed in November 2020 with submission to the MSBA on December 11, 2020. As this is a Chapter 149A Construction Manager At-Risk Project Early Bid Packages issued for the Phase 1 site work, foundation, and structural steel in August 2020. The construction started on the Phase 1 new gymnasium in October 2020 while design was still under way.
The phased occupied renovation addition of the existing school buildings will encompass 4 Phases and are now scheduled to be completed in May 2027. The Phase 1 New Gymnasium opened in August 2022. Phase 2 constructing a new Freshman Academy Building, new Main Entrance and new Cafeteria was completed in August 2024. Phase 3 renovating the 1980’s and North end of the 1922 Building was scheduled for completion in August 2025. The 1980’s portion of Phase 3 is still scheduled for completion in August 2025, however the 1922 Building portion of Phase 3 encountered unforeseen conditions delaying scheduled completion of the 1922 portion until December 2025. As a result of the Phase 3 delays, Phase 4 start was delayed with completion of Phase 4 now scheduled for May 2027.
For more information on the process, please visit the Massachusetts School Building Authority website.
Disclaimer: As with every construction project, the scope, design, schedule, and costs are all subject to change as the project progresses. This website contains planning and design materials which reflect a fluid work-in-progress and an ever-evolving design that should not be construed to be “final” as they are subject to modification.