Print
E-mail
Rate
Share
Seven bid to build new school
By Beth Brogan, Times Record Staff
BRUNSWICK — Construction costs for the new Brunswick elementary school may be $5 million less than the $28 million originally anticipated, based on bids opened at the Brunswick Superintendent’s office Thursday afternoon.
Seven bids were received by Thursday’s deadline, Superintendent Paul Perzanoski said. Five of the seven came from Maine firms. All seven cost estimates were “closely clustered together,” he said.
“It looks as if we will be able to save at least $5 million on the project, based on our budget and where the bids have come in,” Perzanoski said.
Final decisions will be made within the next week, culminating at a meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee scheduled for Thursday.
Since demolition of the old Brunswick High School was completed earlier this summer, subcontractors have been at the McKeen Street site sifting through mortar and brick debris to remove bits of wood that got mixed in during the demolition, according to Town Councilor Jerry Favreau, who serves on the Elementary School Building Committee.
“When they crushed the building, and brought the debris over to go through the crusher, there were lathes (from the old building) attached,” Favreau said today. “Wood destroys the integrity of the (debris) to be used for laying the sub-base of the new building.”
Architect Alan Kuniholm of PDT Architects said today that any organic material — “anything that might rot” — must be removed before the mortar and brick debris is used for fill.
Costs for removing the organic matter will be borne by the demolition contractor.
However, the contractor hired to build the new elementary school will be responsible for costs to remove an oil tank unexpectedly discovered on the site, and to remove some contaminated soil around the tank where fuel had leaked, according to Kuniholm. Such discoveries are not uncommon at sites, particularly urban or previously developed sites, he said, adding that there was “not a lot” of contaminated soil.
The winning contractor will be determined through a joint process involving both the Maine Department of Education and the committee, he said, through a formal process that considers the amount of the bid and who the contractors carry for sub-contractors.
Architects and school officials will meet with the officials from the Maine Department of Education to determine which “alternates,” or additional components, of the school will be included, Kuniholm said. Some alternates are supported by the state, and some will be borne by local taxpayers through a contingency built into the budget.
The first alternate, Kuniholm said, is a chimney swift structure, which the state will not support. The structure, designed to provide roosts for a migratory flock of the tiny birds that pass through Brunswick each year, will cost about $19,000, he said.
On Thursday, the Elementary School Building Committee will finalize their recommendations as to which alternates to include. Then a recommendation and a letter of intent will be issued to enter into a contract, and construction should begin this month.
“By the end of this month, we will be mobilizing,” Kuniholm said.
The Elementary School Building Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Maine Street Station, 16 Station Ave.
bbrogan@timesrecord.com
Seven bids were received by Thursday’s deadline, Superintendent Paul Perzanoski said. Five of the seven came from Maine firms. All seven cost estimates were “closely clustered together,” he said.
“It looks as if we will be able to save at least $5 million on the project, based on our budget and where the bids have come in,” Perzanoski said.
Final decisions will be made within the next week, culminating at a meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee scheduled for Thursday.
Since demolition of the old Brunswick High School was completed earlier this summer, subcontractors have been at the McKeen Street site sifting through mortar and brick debris to remove bits of wood that got mixed in during the demolition, according to Town Councilor Jerry Favreau, who serves on the Elementary School Building Committee.
“When they crushed the building, and brought the debris over to go through the crusher, there were lathes (from the old building) attached,” Favreau said today. “Wood destroys the integrity of the (debris) to be used for laying the sub-base of the new building.”
Architect Alan Kuniholm of PDT Architects said today that any organic material — “anything that might rot” — must be removed before the mortar and brick debris is used for fill.
Costs for removing the organic matter will be borne by the demolition contractor.
However, the contractor hired to build the new elementary school will be responsible for costs to remove an oil tank unexpectedly discovered on the site, and to remove some contaminated soil around the tank where fuel had leaked, according to Kuniholm. Such discoveries are not uncommon at sites, particularly urban or previously developed sites, he said, adding that there was “not a lot” of contaminated soil.
The winning contractor will be determined through a joint process involving both the Maine Department of Education and the committee, he said, through a formal process that considers the amount of the bid and who the contractors carry for sub-contractors.
Architects and school officials will meet with the officials from the Maine Department of Education to determine which “alternates,” or additional components, of the school will be included, Kuniholm said. Some alternates are supported by the state, and some will be borne by local taxpayers through a contingency built into the budget.
The first alternate, Kuniholm said, is a chimney swift structure, which the state will not support. The structure, designed to provide roosts for a migratory flock of the tiny birds that pass through Brunswick each year, will cost about $19,000, he said.
On Thursday, the Elementary School Building Committee will finalize their recommendations as to which alternates to include. Then a recommendation and a letter of intent will be issued to enter into a contract, and construction should begin this month.
“By the end of this month, we will be mobilizing,” Kuniholm said.
The Elementary School Building Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Maine Street Station, 16 Station Ave.
bbrogan@timesrecord.com
Share this Article
 |
 |
|
| Bath heralds season, citizens | Trails win out over trials |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of timesrecord.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
Popular Searches
