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Taconic High School Construction: Fixtures and Finishes The Focus

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Many of the classrooms are completed and awaiting furnishings.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tiling, fixtures, flooring, more tiling, painting, and ceilings. 
 
That's what's getting the biggest focus at the new Taconic High School building.
 
The mechanical systems are mostly complete and now the finishing touches are being installed throughout most of the building. 
 
The $120.8 million project has been ongoing for two years and is expected to be completed this summer. At the end of June, the work will be completed and in July and August, equipment and materials from the current school will be moved to the new one.
 
The project is being overseen by Gilbane Construction and Skanska USA.
 
Many of the fixtures have been installed, including kitchen equipment, toilets, cabinets in some rooms, lighting, and heating systems, and ceilings are being installed throughout. Some classrooms are basically completed, including the art room which has a number of desks already in place.
 
Upon entering the main entrance, a hallway to the left features the nurse's office and early childhood care classrooms and to the right are offices for guidance counselors, principal, and other staff. Directly in front will be a welcome desk and this weekend a grand staircase will be delivered to be installed, bringing people up to the all-glass enclosed media center.
 
The auditorium is enclosed, which is to the left of the welcome desk and staircase. The sloped floor for the auditorium seating is completed and electricians are finishing the wiring for the lighting.
 
In the gym, painting is complete, the partition is installed, and basketball hoops are up. One of the last items scheduled to be installed is the wood floor. The locker rooms are painted and tiled, and the lockers themselves have been delivered. Those are set to be installed.
 
Across the hall from those spaces is the cafeteria. That has some of the equipment already installed. To the north, on the other side of the cafeteria, is the culinary arts kitchen and classroom. Between the two there will be a cafe for the students to serve the food they made in the program. Beyond culinary will be cosmetology.
 
On the second floor of the eastern side of the building, the arts, a computer lab, health and spaces for the medical program are all coming along. A number of fixtures and equipment has been installed and much of the flooring is complete. 
 
Many of the floors throughout the upper levels of the building have been completed and are now covered for protection. Tiling, painting, and other wall finishes are also well underway and all three elevators have been installed. 
 
There is a significant amount of tile in the building and a lot more to be done. The walls throughout the building, in hallways and stairwells, will all feature tiling.
 
Painting is ongoing throughout the building and a large number of electricians are on site.
 
Gilbane has structured the work to start on the upper floors and move downward. The academic classrooms on the third floor, on the eastern portion of the building, are pretty close to being done. The second and first-floor classrooms are trailing slightly behind. 
 
The academic classrooms are arranged in pod-like fashion. The classrooms in each pod are arranged in a half circle off of the main hallway and surround teacher's offices and a shared common area. The science labs are across the hall, with views of the mountains to the south.
 
The shops are on the first floor in the eastern portion of the building and shop classrooms are located across the hall.
 
Furniture has all been chosen and ordered. 
 
iBerkshires has been following the construction since the beginning. Below is a slideshow from each visit. The newest slides are first and the rest are in chronological order.



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Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

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