Glover School Feasibility Study Update
Glover School Feasibility Study Status Report 11/23/09
Prepared by Patricia Blackmer
The Town of Marblehead and the Marblehead Public Schools, through the Glover School Building Committee, will conduct a Feasibility Study in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to analyze several options and determine the most educationally sound and financially responsible remedy to the facility needs of the Glover School. The consolidation of the Eveleth and Glover schools will be considered in this study.
The initial steps have included:
- May/June, 2008: Securing funding for the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and the Designer. In May, 2008, Town Meeting approved the funding request of $295,000 (OPM: $50,000 and Design fees: $245,000, based on a funding formula provided by the MSBA) subject to a debt exclusion override. On June 17, 2008 A Marblehead special election approved two debt exclusion overrides; one to fund the Glover Feasibility Study (2365 YES, 1311 NO) and the second to fund the Village Repair Project (2464 YES, 1213 NO).
- June, 2008: Establishment of the Glover School Building Committee (GSBC).
- Summer, 2008: Initiating the procurement of an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for the Feasibility Study. In July the Glover School Building Committee (GSBC) met to prepare a Request for Services (RFS) for an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM). The OPM will guide the town through the Feasibility Study, in collaboration with the MSBA. Marblehead submitted a RFS for the OPM to the MSBA for approval on August 13, 2008.
- September, 2008: Site visit of Glover & Eveleth. Representatives of the MSBA visited Marblehead to tour the Village School and took the opportunity to visit both Glover and Eveleth.
- November, 2008: Submittal of “Refreshed” Statement of Interest for Eveleth. In early November, the district was informed that if Marblehead wanted to consider the Eveleth School~in the context of the Glover Feasibility Study, Marblehead would have to “refresh” the Eveleth Statement of Interest (SOI). Following discussions with Facility Director Matty Matthews, Principal Mary Devlin, Business Manager Jonathan Goldfield, Superintendent Paul Dulac and School Committee Chair Amy Drinker, Ms. Blackmer updated the Eveleth SOI and submitted it to the MSBA on November 14, 2008.
- April, 2009: Procurement process for OPM. Interviews for the OPM were conducted by the GSBC. Municipal Building Consultants, Inc. was ranked first among the candidates and submitted to the MSBA for approval.
- May, 2009: During fee negotiations, it became apparent that the dollar amount allocated for the OPM services for the Feasibility Study through Schematic Design was inadequate. Concerns that the MSBA’s formula for estimating the cost of the design services for the Feasibility Study through Schematic Design results in an insufficient dollar amount were raised by the Boston Society of Architects. The decision was made to hire Municipal Building Consultants, Inc. as OPM for the Feasibility Study through the identification of the “Preferred Alternative Solution,” with the intent to seek full Town support and project funding at Town Meeting, 2010.
- July, 2009: The School Committee voted to award the contract for the OPM services for the Feasibility Study through the Preferred Alternative to Municipal Building Consultants, Inc.
- July, 2009: Analysis of Elementary Enrollment Projections. The MSBA presented the district with enrollment projections based on statistical models. The district analyzed the data, addressed several factors that affect enrollment and submitted the analysis to the MSBA. Representatives from the district and the MSBA met to discuss the enrollment projections and agreement was reached for the enrollment projections for design purposes of 310 students for grades 1-3 (Glover enrollment) or 425 students for a K-3 school (Glover/Eveleth combined enrollment).
- August-November, 2009: the RFS for Designer Services for the Feasibility Study was issued with a deadline for submittals from interested architects of September 4, 2009. The GSBC reviewed the proposals on September 8 and 22. On October 6, Dr. Dulac, Mr. Sasso and Ms. Blackmer participated in the MSBA Designer Selection Panel (DSP). The DSP ranked the candidates and decided to interview three firms: DiNisco Design, JCJ Architecture and Symmes Maini & McKee Associates. On October 20, 2009, the three interviews were conducted and JCJ Architecture was selected by the DSP. Fee negotiations commenced and on November 5, 2009, the School Committee accepted the GSBC’s recommendation and voted to award the MSBA contract for Design Services for the Glover Feasibility Study to JCJ Architecture.
- November, 2009: On Thursday, November 19, 2009, representatives from the MSBA will visit Marblehead to hold a “kick-off” meeting for the Glover Feasibility Study.
NEXT STEPS:
Fall 2009/Winter 2010: Conduct Feasibility Study to identify options for addressing the facility needs of the Glover School. A variety of options will be considered, including the consolidation of the Glover and Eveleth schools, with renovation of the existing buildings, additions and/or new construction at either the Glover or Eveleth site. The study will include:
Site surveys, geotechnical studies, traffic studies, etc.
Educational Specifications (Ed Specs) development
Community outreach
Collaboration with MSBA
December 1, 2009: GSBC Meeting, 7:00 pm at Glover School
December 9, 2009: The first Informational Public Forums will be held.
The public is invited: 9:15 AM at Eveleth School and at 7:00 PM at Glover School.
March, 2010: MSBA Board Meeting to Approve the Preferred Alternative
Spring, 2010: Build Community Understanding and Support for Project
May, 2010: Town Meeting presentation and request for Project Funding
June, 2010: Debt Exclusion Vote to secure funding for project
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