Meeting provides project update
BELCHERTOWN – With a project manager and architect hired as well as a feasibility study underway, the Jabish Brook Middle School project is in the pipeline. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before shovels hit the ground.
The project is done in “modules” strictly outlined by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
The first module was the statement of interest that was submitted by the district. After that, the promoters of the project were invited to participate in the program as entering a feasibility study. Following the assembly of a project manager and an architect, the project moved into module three, a feasibility study.
The next milestone is to submit a preliminary design program to the state, which the OPM aims to do by July 30.
LPA|A Associates Principal Christina Bazalmans, the architect firm, said the purpose of the preliminary design program is to “look at what the needs of the building are to bring it up to the 21st century learning as well as meeting your education plan.”
Belchertown Public Schools Superintendent Brian Cameron said with the support of the School Committee, the steering committee and the building committee for the middle school, the proposal will include the middle school enrollment to be for grades six through eight for a couple reasons.
“We felt that sixth grade developmentally should be at the middle school. This would also allow sixth graders to be exposed to STEM, which is science, technology, engineering and math. We would have a true Middle School,” he said. “The other would be pre-kindergarten. Students who went to kindergarten, they go to one school and then they have to transition to another school. If they started at Swift River (Elementary School), there’d be at Swift River for three, possibly four or five years, if they were in preschool. too. So that would allow students not to have to attend one school at Cold Springs and then leave.”
This plan would also allow the district to no longer need Cold Springs Elementary School.
The plan includes the fact the middle school would be expected to serve the community for at least 50 years. The team is required to look at a base repair option which is a benchmark, reuse of the building and new construction options.
During the presentation, Principal Architect Eric Moore, stated that the project is likely less expensive than a baseline repair to address the needs of the district.
“It’s a status quo, fix what’s broken,” he said. “You’re not meting your education plan with the base repair plan. You’re not getting the teacher spaces; you’re getting the special education spaces. The MSBA will likely not participate in the base repair program.”
The team reviewed several options for the different types of projects – including renovation and a new building. These options were presented to the group, but there were no recommendations from the team.
Of the eight options presented, the cost ranged from $65 million to $118 million.
The building committee was set to vote on the three options to pursuit in the next phase. Then the whole PDP is going to be submitted to the MSBA this month. Narrowing down to one option won’t occur until around October.
