PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, the Taconic High School property will start to look like a construction site.
Superintendent Jason McCandless said workers from J.H. Maxymillian Inc. will begin site work for the new high school. Maxymillian won one of three early contracts put out by the city for the $120.8 million new school.
"We have a construction trailer at Taconic and their work is going to start on Monday," McCandless said.
Maxymillian will be installing water retention basins and a bridge over a small creek, building out a parking lot, creating an access road and leveling the ground for construction among the work needed to prepare the land. The company will also be fencing off the entire construction site.
"As of right now, the soccer field will be off limits. The girl's softball field will be off limits. And the lacrosse practice field will be off limits," McCandless said of the impacts the site work will have.
Softball games are being moved to the Doyle Softball Complex, lacrosse is going to Berkshire Community College, and track and field will be competing at Wahconah Regional High School.
"The fewer events we have on site the better for safety reasons," McCandless said.
The city and construction manager Gilbane Construction put out bids for the site work and concrete, and will be for steel. McCandless said Connecticut-based Coreslab Structures won the concrete contract.
"These were bids that we knew months and months ago," McCandless said. "You have to be in line months ahead of time and that's what we were shooting for ... things are moving ahead nicely."
Coreslab is expected to work somewhat with the Pittsfield-based Unistress, helping reduce transportation costs for the massive concrete blocks.
The project is on target timewise. Gilbane had eyed mid-March for these early contracts with construction ramping up later in the spring.
"They are feeling right on schedule for where they want to be," McCandless said.
The superintendent says he is also working on scheduling a groundbreaking ceremony.
The new building will be 246,520 square feet to accommodate 920 students. It will built over a two-year period across the driveway from the current building, which was constructed in 1969. That building will be razed. The budget is $120.8 million but the Massachusetts School Building Authority is paying up to $74.2 million of that.
Gilbane is the construction manager at risk that will be overseeing the entire project. There is also a construction subcommittee consisting of members of the School Building Needs Commission approving the contracts. The bids are going through city's purchasing department with Gilbane and the subcommittee recommending the winners.
The new vocational technical school is eyed for opening for the 2018-19 school year. For more information about the project, click here.
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Pittsfield Kayak Kiosk Proposal Withdrawn After Pushback
Whenever Watersports has withdrawn its proposal for a kayak rental program at Onota Lake. Safety concerns arose around the company's self-serve model though it was stipulated that users sign liabilities away with a waiver as part of the process.
"It's unfortunate. I had hoped the outcome would be different and I think (Recreation and Special Events Coordinator Maddy Brown) and you as well thought this was an opportunity to provide an additional level of services, recreation opportunity to folks at the park through a modern-app-based system," Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said to the Parks Commission on Tuesday.
"It would have cost the city nothing to have this sited. We wouldn't be responsible for any maintenance but there would be maintenance to the units and to the boats, etc. Everyone was going to get life preservers and there are instructions through the app so we thought it was it was safe and secure and a good fit for the park."
In December, the commission granted a request for the pilot program and City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta had been reviewing and revising a proposed contract that had not yet been approved. Last week during City Council, residents Daniel Miraglia and Gene Nadeau submitted a petition requesting a legal opinion on the proposal from the solicitor.
Miraglia expressed concerns about the lack of a bidding process, safety hazards, and the impact on a local business that rents kayaks on the lake. Onota Boat Livery owner Caryn Wendling was upset to hear that an out-of-town company would be allowed to operate the kiosk on the same lake as her business and also cited safety concerns.
Councilors asked that Pagnotta look into items such as the commission's authority with entering into contracts and if a bidding process would be needed for this.
Later that week, a request to the Conservation Commission for determination for the kiosk at Burbank Park located within the buffer zone associated with the inland bank was withdrawn. According to the application, it was proposed to be located before the beach area coming from the main parking lot.
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On Thursday, the panel approved a notice of intent application for the use of EarthTec QZ within a specified treatment area of the lake.
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Residents mapped out a West Side they would like to see during an input session this week, utilizing multi-use properties to create robust density. click for more