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Council approves more funds for new middle school

Date: 3/6/2015

CHICOPEE – The City Council approved allocating an additional $300,000 for the on-going renovation of the former Chicopee High School into a new middle school at its meeting on March 3.


Mayor Richard Kos said ultimately the council might have to approve an additional $1 million to cover issues uncovered in the building.


Kos said the project “should have had a greater contingency [fund], but didn’t.”


The mayor added although the city’s legislative delegation will appeal to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for additional funds, the council should not to expect them.


School Superintendent Richard Rege explained to the council that missing the construction deadline of mid-August would mean the plan to re-organize the district’s schools would have to be put off until the next school year. He explained the students at Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School would be divided, depending upon where they live between the Edward Bellamy Middle School and the new school. In turn, Selser Memorial Elementary School would move to Fairview and Chicopee Academy would move into Selser.


All of these moves would take place for the start of the new school year, but only if the new middle school is ready, Rege said.


“We don’t want to see that beautiful building on Front Street empty for a year,” he said.


Kos received a letter for Norman Benjamin, the senior project manager, for the middle school project on Feb. 25 requesting the $300,000.


 “As you know, the Old Chicopee High School Building Committee and the city has been struggling with an inadequate contingency and unrealistic bidding alternatives which resulted from the direction of a prior administration, it has been clear that funding remaining in the current contingency is near exhaustion,” Benjamin wrote.


The $300,000 will keep the construction progressing for the next two months, he added.

The city has had to install new windows in the building and handle issues such as the discovery of mold that was not covered in the budget, but had to pay for it out of the contingency funds.


City Councilor William Zaskey, a member of the building committee, said they had been told the project had to stay under $40 million otherwise the MSBA wouldn’t approve the renovation, but instead recommend constructing a new building.


Zaskey said a $2 million contingency fund was established, but $710,000 was used immediately with the decision to install new windows.


“When you’re renovating something you’re bound to find some surprises,” Zaskey said.


Tests were done to see if there was a mold problem. The mold was discovered until vinyl wallpaper was removed, Zaskey said.


Holding a list of potential changes in his hand, Zaskey said the committee and the contractors have worked to hold down costs by eliminating some of them and modifying others.


Zaskey said the total amount of $1.3 million that may be needed has been divided into three phases.


“We’ll see what we need a couple of months down the line,” he added.


Councilor James Tillotson said the 80 percent reimbursement from the state for the project would probably become in reality closer to 75 percent when the additional expenses are added to the final cost.

Speaking of supporting the allocation though, Tillotson said, “I don’t think we have any choice here.”