Goodyear School Construction on Schedule

Work inside the new Goodyear School is on schedule, despite this winter's snow slowing outside work a little, according to a report presented to the Building Committee Wednesday afternoon.

The project is four days behind schedule, down from about seven days, according to a report from the construction management company on the project, the Gilbane Building Co. The report also states that weather has slowed window installation and masonry work.

Patrick Saitta, president of the company representing the city on the project, Municipal Building Consultants, Inc., of N. Andover, the city’s Owner’s Project Manager, told the committee he wants to get the rest of the windows into the new building.

The last part of the roof membrane was scheduled to be installed starting this past Thursday, Feb. 10, Saitta reported. Some of the snow had to be melted off the roof to prepare for the roof laying, he said.

Masonry is scheduled to be complete by mid-March, according to the Municipal Building Consultants’ project report.

While construction continues outside and inside, a request for proposals for fixtures, furniture and equipment will be advertised on Feb. 28. Proposals are due the end of March, Saitta said. Based on budget concerns, the school’s architectural and planning firm, Tappe, of Boston, will advise where modifications could be made, according to the Municipal Building Consultants’ report.

A camera system has eliminated break-ins, Saitta said. late last year resulted in damage and the theft of materials including small and large portable tools, and copper, in the form of water pipe, drain and supply pipe and primary and secondary wiring, according to minutes from the committee’s January meeting. The loss from the breaks had minor impact to the overall budget, according to the minutes.

Mosaic discussion

Mosaic artist Cynthia Fisher showed the committee samples of her work. Fisher is going to prepare a proposal for mosaics for the Goodyear. She worked on mosaics for the Malcolm White and Reeves Schools.

Malcolm White School third, fourth and fifth-graders participated in making the two six-feet-tall by four-fee-wide mosaics of a fanciful pond scene, one by day and one by night.

She worked with Reeves School students and art teacher Marie LaCour in June of 2010 to create a series of mosaics to compliment a large existing mosaic on a wall of that school.

Other construction details

Environmentally, 99.6 percent of the waste from the Goodyear site—including the former building—has been recycled, Saitta said. That includes about 5,500 tons of demolition material from the previous school building, his company’s report states.

Safety-wise, workers put in 219 days without a recordable or loss of time accident, according to Gilbane’s report. But the streak ended recently when an ironwork sprained his wrist while unloading a truck. The incident was discussed with the iron contractor.

The new Goodyear School building project should be completed this coming Aug. 15, according to the Municipal Building Consultant’s report. Construction started this past March 24.

The budget for the school project is $26.5 million, according to the report circulated Wednesday. The state is reimbursing the city about $12 million, Saitta said in a follow-up interview. The state School Building Authority is reimbursing the city every month under a “pay as you go system,” he said, rather than waiting until after the building is completed, as was the former practice.

In related action, the modular classrooms at the Clapp School will be removed at the end of the school year, according to discussion. Students who would be going to the Goodyear are going to the Clapp School while the new Goodyear School is being built.

The school building committee will next meet on March 9 at 4 p.m. in City Hall.