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The windows on much of the building have been installed, and the framing for the rest is being done now.

Taconic Construction: Halfway Point In Sight

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Artist's rendition of the new Taconic High School building once completed.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction on the new Taconic High School is quickly approaching the halfway point.
 
By the end of the month, the $120.8 million project should be right at the 50 percent completion mark.
 
The target is to have the entire building enclosed by Thanksgiving, furniture starting to be moved into the building in March, and then ready for occupancy next summer. 
 
Right now, all of the precast concrete work on the exterior has been completed and steel is close to being completed. Since school let out, workers have expanded into the main driveway to work on the main water drainage system.
 
The utilities and mechanicals are the main focus right now with permanent power being turned on last month, and Berkshire Gas currently finishing up the infrastructure to turn on the permanent gas.
 
The electrical, cable, and internet infrastructure is in place. The gas system is running throughout the building. And the ventilation system is following closely behind. New boilers and hot water heater have been installed.
 
The concrete for the balcony in the auditorium, steel for the catwalk, and the walls have all been complete. Workers are now building where the seating will be.
 
The gym is just about complete as well. Workers had dug up what would be the floor months ago to lay electrical conduit but that has been placed, buried, and the floor is leveled. The gym is just awaiting the final concrete pour on the floor, which is expected in August, and then the walls can be painted.
 
The painting has not begun yet but should be started in the next month or so. The interior designers have always tested the paint colors in some sections, getting a view of how they'll look when actually placed on the walls. 
 
The most visible for those driving by is the outside facade. There ground face block is being installed by masons around the perimeter of the building. Above that, metal work will follow. At the top in many places, including the gym, will be translucent fiberglass, which will let light in by won't be see-through.
 
Windows have been installed throughout much of the building already and framing the places that are left is currently underway. 
 
In the classroom areas, a large amount of drywall has been put up and stud walls are going up in some sections. The shop sections still need concrete flooring but have outlined. The section on the eastern side of the building is trailing behind in construction, as workers focused more on the main section of the building first. 
 
There are about 150 tradesmen working on the building right now. In the fall, that number should eclipse 200 and a new parking area is being created to add spots for when school is back in session. The students have just one more year in the current Taconic and in the fall of 2018, the first classes will be held in the new building. The old building will then be torn down.
 
iBerkshires has been following the construction since the beginning. Below is a slideshow from each visit. The latest photos are first, and then the slideshow is in chronological order since the start of construction.


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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