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Ahead of a Jan. 23 voter referendum on whether to build a new $444.6 million Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, officials on Friday released revised estimates for an alternative renovation.
The updated estimate to bring the 50-year-old school up to current building codes and undertake other improvements is about $350 million—or about $14 million less than an initial projection. The total compares to a new construction price tag of about $267.5 million to be paid by the 11 member communities after grants and reimbursement by the state.
“This peer review by a respected company supports the idea that a new Whittier Tech is the most cost-effective way to support our mission, and that a necessary, prolonged renovation will cost taxpayers significantly more,” Superintendent Maureen Lynch said in a statement. “The numbers confirm the diligent research of the district, School Building Committee and project team that led to the decision to pursue new construction.”
An earlier estimate by project manager LeftField suggested renovations would cost $364.1 million. At the suggestion of Haverhill officials following a Dec. 11 briefing, however, the school sought a peer review of the renovation option by Consigli, the project’s construction manager.
Driving the lower renovation estimate is a reduced price for code upgrades.
The school said Consigli focused on construction costs, cost escalation and procurement strategies and contingencies, and broke down renovation costs as code upgrades, $316.8 million; wastewater treatment plant, $12.8 million; sprinkler system, $11.3 million; and new access road, $9.4 million.
The current building was opened in 1973 and is in need of extensive repairs and code upgrades. The last significant renovation was a roof replacement in 2007. The Whitter Tech School Building Committee, the statement said, “moved forward with a plan to build a new school on the current grounds as the most affordable option. This plan has been vetted and approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which maintains strict oversight over new construction projects.”
All 11 communities are represented on the Whittier Tech School Committee and have been apprised of progress during the four years since it was invited by the Massachusetts School Building Authority to enter an eligibility period.
Voters in all 11 communities served by Whittier Tech go to the polls Tuesday, Jan. 23, to decide whether to build a new school. Polls will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.