Middletown has passed another milestone with work to build a new middle-high school and improve its school facilities.
At a meeting Monday night in Town Hall, the Town Council awarded a construction manager contract to Gilbane Building Company of Providence for the middle-high school work.
The Bentley Companies were selected as the construction manager to renovate the existing Middletown High and Forest Avenue School buildings along with transforming Aquidneck School as a community center, provided the Warwick firm gets on the state approved list.
This marks the latest in a string of good news for the project, which aims to take the Middletown school district to the next level, both with its facilities and education.
“The Building Committee was happy to announce that after a thorough vetting process, that contractors have been selected for our upcoming building projects,” said incoming Superintendent William Niemeyer, the current principal of Gaudet Middle School and a member of the School Building Committee.
“A lot of hard work went into the screening process both with the committee and the contractors that applied. We are optimistic that the selections are one more step in the right direction for Middletown. I am so excited to see the evolution of this project, as we continue towards our goals for the school district and the community.”
The way the Gilbane and Bentley contracts are structured, they’re intended to get more buy in from both firms before construction even starts.
Known as “at risk” contracts, the firms partner with the town, Colliers and others involved to help finalize their portion of the construction documents for the new school and renovations.
From there, Gilbane and Bentley will each bid out four or five major components of their portions of the project, all which will have final approval by the Town Council.
That way, the town has more oversight of the project and Gilbane and Bentley are working collaboratively to deliver the best products possible.
Under a “traditional” construction contract, the final plans are set and every change that happens from then on requires change orders and revisions.
Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown — another member of the School Building Committee — said the project remains firmly “on time and on budget.”
In November 2023, voters approved the $190 million project during a special election.
One of the main selling points was the projected 55 percent reimbursement from the state Department of Education for the new middle-high school just north of Gaudet. Another was providing state-of-the-art amenities like an auditorium, gymnasium and other safe, secure spaces to help improve 21st century learning.
At the same time, the existing Middletown High School building would be repurposed for a grade two-five learning center as well as administrative and maintenance offices. Proponents have said that Valley Road facility may have outlived its useful life as a high school, but with modest renovations part of the $190 million bond it could have new life as a childhood center.
Around the corner, money was also included in the $190 million bond for rehabbing the existing Forest Avenue School into an early childhood learning complex for pre-kindergarten through first graders.
Brown said every major component promised as part of the campaign leading up to the Nov. 7, 2023 vote remains in the project and will remain that way.
Under the proposed Fiscal 2025 tax rate, the payment for the school bond is factored into the 2 percent tax hike projected for median Middletown homeowners.
According to preliminary figures, the normalized Fiscal 2024 tax rate from Revaluation 2024 is $8.61 per $1,000 of assessed value. The forecasted Fiscal 2025 is $8.65 per $1,000, or a $100 increase for median Middletown homeowners.
“There is no change in the scope of the (school) plan,” Brown said. “It’s the same middle-high school. It’s the same consolidated elementary school at the (Middletown) High School (property). It’s the same early childhood center at the Forest Avenue (School site). It hasn’t changed.”
At the same time, Brown said to expect that every detail about the school construction project would remain was unrealistic.
Opening the meeting, Brown provided feedback on statements made by a concerned residents group that has taken issue with the bond and project almost from Day 1.
Taking each comment point by point, Brown attempted to show that everything with the effort to date was — and would be — delivered as promised, “on time and on budget.”
To view Brown’s presentation, visit https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/12510/School-Building-Project-Update online.
“To think we’re going to lay out a plan before Election Day that will not change at all in the details is unrealistic,” Brown said. “Like with any project, whether it’s at your house, a business, a school, anywhere, things change and evolve, but the elements that were promised have not change and will not change.
“What’s also lost here is that everything we’re doing, we’re doing to make the school better for our students and our educators and the public. We’re seeking reimbursements and bonuses that will literally save our taxpayers millions (of dollars) and make the school as good, if not better, than what was promised without adding a cent to our tax rate. Based on everything I’ve heard, if we didn’t do that, we’d be negligent.”
Groundbreaking is planned for the spring of 2025, with a ribbon cutting slated for the fall
of 2027.
Colliers International is serving as the project leads, with HMFH architects and CIVIC educational planners providing expertise as well.
For updates and details from the School Building Committee on the project, go to https://mdl.town/SBC online.