Pittsfield Begins Search for OPM to Lead Crosby/Conte Project
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wheels are moving on the Crosby/Conte proposal.
On Tuesday, the School Building Needs Commission created a seven-member selection committee for an owner's project manager.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority, from which the district is seeking an 80 percent reimbursement, has invited Pittsfield Public Schools to a feasibility study phase, along with five other districts. On the table is a proposal to rebuild and consolidate the outdated John C. Crosby Elementary and Silvio O. Conte Community School on the Crosby property.
Potential solutions will be studied, and a cost estimate and schedule will be laid out. According to a schedule provided by the MSBA, the district is expected to have a recommendation for a new West Side school by May.
An OPM is a hired consultant who oversees a construction or design project in the owner's interest. The MSBA recommends completing a request for services by Jan. 15 and advertising the position by Jan. 29.
Under this timeline, applications are due by February 18, an OPM is selected, and the package is submitted to the MSBA for review on March 11. The hope is to complete the process by April 6.
"It's an aggressive timeline, but ultimately, once we get to March, if everyone gets there at the same time, it will be determined by the spaces they have available," interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said regarding the funding.
During his State of the City Address on Monday, Mayor Peter Marchetti reported that three options are being studied for the Crosby campus to determine what best serves the district and city.
"During this phase, we'll be working together to gather the necessary information, create potential building designs, and explore educational needs as we move forward," he said.
Running parallel to the Crosby/Conte effort is the middle school restructuring, which was given the OK to move forward next school year. Grades 5-6 will go to Herberg Middle School, and Grades 7-8 will attend Reid Middle School.
Marchetti pointed out that he was the only vote of opposition on Dec. 10, the checkpoint set to determine if the restructuring would be put off for another year.
"Even though I was a single dissenting vote, I am supportive of making changes to our current structure. However, for this restructuring to take place, I need to be sure that all our T's are crossed and all our I's are dotted. That includes the plans for transportation, teacher and staff coverage, curriculum, content, and more," he said on Monday, during the address.
He reported that 29 new school buses will come online "in the very near future" and PPS will be piloting enforcement technology for vehicles that blow past a stop sign on a school bus, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Agency.
Tags: Crosby/Conte project, school building committee,
