Construction Starting Next Month On Braintree South Middle School

BRAINTREE, MA — Construction is slated to begin on the new South Middle School next month, and it will be Braintree's first new school in 50 years.

Mayor Charles Kokoros chose Bacon Construction, of East Providence, Rhode Island, as the general contractor for the project, the Patriot Ledger reported. The middle school project received two bids, with Bacon's offer coming in as the lowest at $66.7 million. That's less than the $69.18 million appropriated for the project.

Kokoros' decision came after a recommendation from the town's school building committee, which voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of having Bacon Construction complete the project. Hill International will oversee the project.

Bacon Construction is the same company that built Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and renovated Hingham High School. Both of those projects were finished on time and under budget.

The 146,000-square-foot building will be constructed behind the existing school. It was approved via a $63 million debt exclusion that Braintree voters supported in a special election last fall. The state is expected to pay $31 million of the cost.

School officials say the new South Middle School will consist of three main parts.

The first section will include a dining room/auditorium, media commons, two innovation labs with computers and a band room.

The second part of the school will consist of two 2-story sections, organized by grade. This is where classrooms will be, with grades 7 and 8 in one and the lower grades in another.

The third part of the building is the athletic wing and includes two gymnasiums, one with bleachers and one without. In the middle will be a courtyard with three seating areas designed to allow teachers to take a classroom outside.