Four Options to be Considered for Final Design
WAKEFIELD — Superintendent David DiBarri wishes to provide a progress update on Northeast Metro Tech’s School Building Project.
Over the last year, the Northeast Metro Tech project team has been working to develop options that would solve the space, capital and maintenance issues of the more than 50-year-old building.
In August, the project team submitted six different construction options to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for consideration for the Preliminary Design Proposal. This is the first of six design packages that will be submitted to the MSBA. The goal is to create plans that would allow for the range of student enrollment to be anywhere from 1,250 (the current enrollment) to 1,722, as well as potentially creating a new access road to the campus.
The options were grouped into four categories:
- Performing a base repair of the existing building.
- Building additions or renovating the current school building. Two different options (B1 and B2 on the map above) were presented for this option.
- Constructing new buildings within the current school site. Three different options (C1, C2, and C3 on the map above) were submitted for this option.
- Acquiring additional land and constructing new school buildings. Three different options (C2A, D1 and D2 on the map above) were considered for this option.
Based on the options presented, the project team will now create Preferred Schematic Report to further evaluate four plans — B2, C1, C2 and C3, which would allow for enrollment potential of 1,400 to 1,722 students. These findings will be submitted to the MSBA in Jan. 2021, and the final preferred option will be identified by school building committee and ultimately approved by the MSBA in Feb. 2021.
Once the Preferred Schematic Report phase is complete, the project team will then begin drawing up schematics of the chosen option, which will be submitted for consideration to the MSBA in June 2021. At that time, the project will also work to set a budget and apply for grant funding from the MSBA to offset some of the overall cost.
“Each of these options presented will go a long way toward helping us better meet the learning needs of our students and further allow us to provide them with the best technical education possible,” Superintendent DiBarri said. “We have worked diligently to fully explore these different options in order to determine which will be the best choice, and will continue to share regular updates as we continue through the design process.”
Community members can view all updates about the project and ask questions at www.northeastbuildingproject.com.
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