Construction Subcommittee Meets on New Schools

Winthrop’s School Building Assistance Committee (SBAC) has created several subcommittees to oversee the creation of a new High/Middle School in the town, the first of which met Tuesday night at the Harvey Meeting Room.

The first meeting of the construction subcommittee discussed what their role will be as the school building moves forward.

SBAC co-chair Dave Dockendorf said the first meeting of this newly created subcommittee began laying the groundwork of the subcommittee’s function.

“We still need to finalize our role but we discussed the subcommittee’s roles and responsibilities,” said Dockendorf. “The subcommittee will oversee the selection of a contractor as well as the monthly requisitions and payments as the project moves forward.”

Dockendorf said bids through a state Request for Proposal (RFP) process will be sent out hopefully in January and bids will be due soon after.

Once a contractor is selected the construction subcommittee will report to the general SBAC as well as its finance subcommittee on construction payments, overseeing schedules and construction benchmarks.

The group also elected David Girard to chair the construction subcommittee.

In October the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted to approve the town’s plans to build a new Winthrop High/Middle School. Voters approved the project on November 5.

The plan is to tear down the existing high school and build a brand new facility that would house both a high school and middle school that would operate independently of one another.

Last January the SBAC voted 14-4 in favor of building a new Middle School and High School during a joint Winthrop School Building Assistance Committee/Winthrop School Committee meeting.

The cost of the project would be 82,950,000. The projected cost and cap set by Winthrop would be 42,975,000. The rest will be funded by the state.