By Amanda Flitter
Staff Writer
November 13, 2008 05:30 am MANCHESTER — Construction of the new Manchester Essex Middle/High School has passed the halfway milestone without a major setback, in spite of certification woes faced by contractor TLT Construction Co. "We're on time, we're on budget, and we continue to watch the contractor," said School Building Committee Chairwoman Sarah Creighton. Bill Peters of Mount Vernon Group, the engineering and architectural firm for the project, said during Monday's School Building Committee meeting that the project is 58 percent complete. The building now has windows, a nearly-completed roof, and a complete brick exterior. Painters are working on interior portions of the building, and subcontractors are installing rough electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems. The renovation of Coach Ed Field Field, which added new walkways, drainage systems, and an artificial turf playing surface, has also been completed. Members from the Manchester and Essex boards of selectmen toured the building in early October. "I felt that it was just a very exciting experience to know that we are more than halfway through the project, that you can see the classrooms taking shape," said Manchester Selectmen's chairwoman Sue Thorne. "In my opinion it is going to be an incredible building and afford our students a tremendous learning opportunity." Creighton said TLT continues to staff the job, and there have been tests along the way to ensure everything is in proper condition. Window tests on Oct. 28 showed some water leakage due to failed weather stripping, but the window manufacturer will correct the condition and the windows will be retested at TLT's expense, Creighton indicated. TLT was decertified by the state in August for 18 months after the Department of Capital Asset Management found the company had falsified or filed incomplete bid applications on at least three public high school buildings in the state. However, TLT is bound by contract to complete the Manchester Essex project. The decertification means the company is essentially barred from bidding on further public-sector construction projects in the state. TLT has been blamed for flaws and cost overruns in a variety of projects in the past — including renovation work at Gloucester High Schooi. Manchester Essex School Building Committee member Joe Ahearn questioned whether the pace of the project was moving too slow, and asked if it that would set it behind schedule. He said he worked out the progress rate to only be about 3 percent per month since the previous update. However, Peters and Jay Stanbury of Design Technique Incorporated, the project management firm, said construction progress often doesn't move in steady increments, as some areas progress faster than others. Also, full completion includes more than the new building, which is slated to open next September. It also factors in demolishing the current building and constructing athletic fields and parking. Creighton said the question of opening on time depends on how one looks at the numbers, but they anticipate no major schedule setbacks. "We still fully intend to be open for school," said Creighton. As the new building takes shape, committee members are looking at design options for the new booster building, which will provide concessions and bathrooms during athletic events. The committee is planning to have students from North Shore Technical high school help with its construction. Creighton said the construction of the booster building will be a learning opportunity for the students and a cost effective decision for the committee. She said they need to meet with a group from the technical school to get a cost estimate and determine which elements of the construction students can complete. Amanda Flitter can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.
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