The School Building Needs Commission approved the submission of early cost estimations to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first round of estimations are finding the Taconic High School plans within budget.

 

Over the last month, Drumney Rosane & Anderson Architects Inc. finished another, more detailed design plan and consultants Skanska USA and construction managers Gilbane Buildings both did independent cost estimations.

 

"Both numbers are amazing close," said John Benzinger of Skanska. "Both were under the project budget."

 

The sides came together to reconcile the differences in calculations but Benzinger says the difference is less than a percent. However, it is also only the first of three estimations. The School Building Needs Commission approved the submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority on Monday and as the construction plans further evolve, the contingency numbers are expected to drop while the individual line items take shape,.

 

"As the design is developed the budget moves up and down," said Dale Caldwell of Skanska.

 

Gilbane and Skanska will go through the process two more times before the design is final — once at the 60 percent stage and again at 90 percent. The MSBA, which is funding a majority of the project, will review those submissions and weigh in. 

 

Overall, the construction budget won't exceed $97.7 million, which was capped by the state. The overall project budget can't exceed $120.8 million. The question is how much each aspect of the construction will cost and if some materials will need to be reduced to hit those numbers. So far, nothing is drastically off.

 

Architect Carl Franceschi of DRA said items that could be changed to stay within budget have already been outlined should costs increase. One benefit to the design right now is that there are no proprietary items, opening the number of manufacturers who can bid for the contract.

 

"We have no proprietary specification in there so no product is limited to one manufacturer," Franceschi said. "It's all open specs which is great because we'll get competition."

 

Franceschi said the plan is still to get some bid packages out early such as work to build an access road to the construction site. 

 

Vladimir Lyubetsky, also of DRA, said he's already began conversations with city officials on the permitting needs. He said he met individually with the fire inspector, Conservation Commission representative, city engineer, and the building inspector to discuss permitting needs. He also addressed a group of representative from all city departments to consider possible issues in permitting.

 

DRA will submit the first round of estimations and design on Thursday, Sept. 3. It will continue to flesh out the design further as the project moves along. 

 

The building will be 246,520 square-feet to accommodate 920 students. The construction is expected to start in 2016 and the school would open in 2018.