Wellesley is on the list!
The MSBA has announced the list of school building projects which have been selected as the leading candidates for state funding. See below for details.
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~The Wellesley SBC
WHS Project moves to Feasibility Study Phase
This morning, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) announced the list of schools which have received an invitation to collaborate with the MSBA on a Feasibility Study. The Wellesley High School Building Project is included in the list, a critical step in the effort to gain state reimbursement.
With this announcement, the WHS Building Project successfully surmounts a major hurdle. Katherine L. Babson, Chairman of the Wellesley SBC stated, "This announcement is exciting news for our project. We are ready and poised to collaborate with the MSBA in this Feasibility stage. I am confident that the groundwork so many have helped lay will provide a solid basis for a successful building project which meets the needs of the Town as a whole and will result in a project of which the Town residents will be proud."
The MSBA has outlined a Project Process Flow which provides a road map for building project management. The latest action is the culmination of multiple studies and site visits in the diagnostic phase (Phases I and II: Identify and Verify the Problem). The goal of these phases was to determine which potential projects are the most urgent and thus should proceed further to Feasibility Study.
Where to from here?
The MSBA detailed the following as the immediate next steps in the process:
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Approval by the MSBA of an Owner's Project Manager which will include a review by the MSBA Owner's Project Manager Advisory Panel; |
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Selection of Feasibility Designer through the MSBA's Designer Selection Panel; |
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Execution of a Feasibility Study Agreement with the MSBA detailing scope, schedule, milestones and cost sharing parameters of the Feasibility Study. |
Most important to the process is our full and comprehensive collaboration with the MSBA. Reimbursement is contingent upon an open and productive collaboration.
Once these phases have been completed and received MSBA approval, the "Final Project Scope and Budget" will be developed. Ultimately, the project will be presented to Town Meeting for approval and then to a town-wide vote for funding.
Upcoming Meetings
We will continue our weekly meetings of the SBC through December and January. In addition, we have launched a number of initiatives in order to conduct detailed research and provide us recommendations on specific topics:
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Parking Task Force Committee - to investigate parking and access needs for both the completed project and during construction phases; |
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Green Charrette - to be held in January, which will investigate the specific application of sustainable building (green) principles leading to a determination of the level and associated cost/benefits. |
Further initiatives will be announced as they develop. |
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Reference Articles
Building for the future, by Tom Goematt, Member of the SBC. A preliminary cost evaluation of the High School options, including the critical factors and variables which impact costs.
Learning from Others, by Cynthia Westerman, Member of the SBC. A summary of the site visits to local high schools which have recently undergone renovation and/or new construction.
For Performance or Sport: The Space Matters, by Suzanne Littlefield, School Committee and SBC Member. A summary of the School Committee decisions regarding design of the Auditorium and Gymnasium spaces to enable the WPS Educational Program.
Enabling Core Values, by the SBC. The key principles (in order of priority) to serve as the foundation for decision-making in the High School Project.
The WHS Project and You, by Katherine L. Babson, Jr., Chair of the SBC. The impact of the High School Project on each and every resident and the commitment to two-way communication.
How Public Education has evolved in Wellesley, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. How the many changes in teaching methods, state and federal mandates to education, and the importance of the extracurricular programs impact the current Educational Program.
WHS Project: The Pieces of the Puzzle, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. A summary of the physical space needed to enable the WPS Educational Program. The resulting "Architectural Educational Program" details what is included and where it is located and as such, becomes the basis for the building design.
WHS Project: The Importance of Site, by Marlene Allen, Member of the School Committee and Chair of the Interboard Land Use Working Group. A summary of the study conducted by the Land Use Working Group to assess the constraints and opportunities afforded by the land parcels adjacent to the current High School site.
SBC Members
Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Selectmen Representative SBC Chairman
Steve Baker Citizen-Architect
John Donahue Facilities Administrator
Tom Goemaat Citizen-Contractor
Steve Gagosian PBC Representative
Rusty Kellogg Advisory Representative
Andrew Keough High School Principal
Hans Larsen Executive Director
Suzy Littlefield School Committee Representative
Kathy Mullaney PBC Projects Administrator
Cynthia Westerman Citizen-Project Manager
Bella Wong Superintendent of Schools |
