The PowerPoint is here. The actual report, which crashed my laptop, is here.
A thing that it seems as though we should be talking about is this:
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| Construction: $238,910,676 Total project budget: $293,384,178 Estimated MSBA grant: 47% |
Plan is for a vote at the end of the meeting to submit Preferred Schematic Design to the MSBA, who will be meeting in August.
"on schedule, on budget" after six months of designing
plan is for a 50 year building with a "site design appropriate to the context"
anticipating construction starting next summer
"will continue to develop exterior connections throughout the site"
"viewed as a great opportunity to connect parks and schools"
looking at Highland Street, traffic control for that
existing school will remain in operation during construction
115 car parking garage under the building
one parking area "that bridges up to the park" currently the end of the parking lot that's there
hired an arborist, including the beech trees along Highland Street
also looked at trees along East West trail
drainage will be important; underground drainage detention
vehicular circulation: buses and cars separated
accessible routes for pedestrians around the building
terrace up and "nestle into the hill"
low plantings in terraces
wall will be rebuilt using existing stones and extending farther along road
now running through "we've built schools next to existing schools before"
as part of construction there will be "blackout hours" as schools are entering and dismissing
among the things they said the health wing would be ready for is things like "COVID-19"
The wings "are like fingers reaching out towards the west"
LEED v.4 "has been determined that the best general strategy is reduce loads"
a "sustainable design workshop"
artificial turf athletic fields, which she acknowledges is hotter during the summer months, but doesn't have to be mown
I'm going to point out here that we aren't budgeting at all for replacing the turf we're putting in; we need a replacement cycle if we're going to do this
Now we have the shots of the building from various angles, and it does kind of loom from the Park/Highland intersection
And now a virtual flyover and around, which is making me a little seasick, but I'll link to that once it is posted
Submission: July 8
MSBA: August 26
City Council votes (on paying for it): September 2020
Design Development submission: March 2021
Since there were requests, they're now posting meeting minutes online
Q: I don't see Duffy Field on here
A: Duffy Field is a separate issue. First meeting in the fall; haven't put pencil to paper
"not part of the Doherty project...Doherty would be potentially one of the users of that field" but it is a different project
Q (Brendan Melican): overview of construction cost over budget; compared to South, our actual maximum grant is lower than the South grant even though it has almost $75M more in costs
A: "effective reimbursement rate" is what is calculated; capped reimbursement per square foot; anything over that comes in in cost
bigger building, adds up
cap is also site costs capped at 7%; complexity of phasing increases cost to accomplish the same thing
Q: actual total project budget: no clarity in where that additional $97M are coming from
question was more for the elected officials on the call; someone will ask why we're getting less money for a more expensive building
I...am left somewhat unsatisfied by this answer
Q: vision of facade of building?
A: "have been trying to represent it"
"I think you can kind of get a feel for it"
anticipate a progressive looking building
flat roof; Doherty colors but why is it white?
Q: development in park?
not over the line into the park is the short version
A: real issue for current building, everything designed in new building to be accessible
Rick Miller (Friends of Newton Hill): improvements at top welcomed for Friends
athletic field: fence? Open to public during non-school use
A: I envision that it will be open; I don't see it being closed
will have a four feet fence, will be used a lot
"will be up to Worcester Public Schools to determine" aha, we got there!
Q: current fields are open to the public; if that is lost, we should know
part of the answer here is that artificial turf is EXPENSIVE
Matt Wally: traffic engineering pay close attention to Highland Street to ensure parents aren't going to use it as drop off and pick up area
Q: hot water via heat pumps?
A: scheduled workshop to vet such concerns
Q: will windows be operable?
A: "an operable window per classroom"
Q: can the pavement be lightened to limit the heat index?
A: pavers for a lighter color; can also see what else can be done for pavement
Vote:
Rick Miller votes no
All others in favor
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