The School Building Committee for Newport’s new Rogers High School, which is led by Becky Bolan and Louisa Boatwright, has released its 142nd update, highlighting recent progress and upcoming milestones.
With the building handover just three months away, construction activity is in full swing. The first phase of exterior work is underway, including drainage installation on Wickham Avenue. Inside, crews are busy with tiling, painting, electrical systems, room assignments, equipment installation, and technology setup. The building is now weather-tight, marking a key construction milestone.
High school teachers are already preparing for the move. They’ve received packing boxes and are following a schedule from Principal Vance to get ready for the transition starting in early June.
The Newport School Committee is looking into keeping the NACTC building, which houses automotive and cosmetology programs. They’re meeting on Feb. 26 at Pell Elementary School to discuss this option.
On Feb. 24, the School Building Committee will meet at Pell Elementary to review new change orders and get updates from vendors. The public can attend in person or watch the livestream on the Newport Public Schools YouTube channel.
Project leaders are working on setting a date for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house tours, expected in August.
Gilbane Construction Company is evaluating how keeping the NACTC building might affect the project timeline. Early reviews suggest work in or around the NACTC building may not be finished before the school year starts in September.
The current schedule aims to complete the new building by June 2025. Demolition of the old building and final site work will continue through August 2026.
Read The Full Update Below
February 21, 2025
SBC Update # 142
Yes, we are already rounding up the month of February and there is so much happening.
We have about three months before the keys to the new RHS are to be handed over to us. Everywhere, inside and outside of the building, activity is ramping up as the first phase of the outside site work is underway, the drainage for water retainage areas on Wickham Ave is being installed, and the interior of the building is bustling with work centered around the tiles, painting, electrical, room assignments, equipment installation, technology implementation, shelving rooms, and much more. The building is finally weather tight-Woo-Hoo!! Each week we have an ongoing list of details to be addressed with items that need attention. Our high school teachers already have their packing boxes. They along with the Superintendent’s Office are under a schedule provided by Principal Vance of dates and timelines to be ready for the transitioning process to begin in early June. Director Young is wrapping up the furniture purchases with Ted Tolis from SLAM, Principal Vance is working diligently on the Fitness Room layout and equipment, and our community supporters are helping us with donations and much more! All of us are wearing many, many hats as the project is zooming forward.
Our Newport School Committee is also very busy seeking ways to keep the NACTC building to save our automotive and cosmetology programs from having to move off campus. This action would also provide much needed office spaces for administration. Gilbane has recently provided cost estimates to us regarding keeping the NACTC building and next Wednesday, February 26th at Pell Elementary School at 5:30pm, the NSC will meet to consider moving a plan forward to keep the NACTC building. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that all goes well.
Before then however, on Monday, February 24, 2025 there will be a school building committee meeting. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Pell Elementary School at 5:30 as we review some new change orders and hear updates from our vendors. We hope everyone tunes in https://www.youtube.com/@newportpublicschools/streams or swings by to learn more about this great project that our community supported and is looking forward to seeing in the near future. At our next update, we will try our best to announce a “Save the Date” for our ribbon cutting, and Open House for tours that will take place in August. So stay tuned for more information as the weeks unfold. These are exciting times!
As always, here are our other updates for the week.
Calendar:
Our next meeting will be Monday, February 24th at 5:30 pm at Pell.
GILBANE UPDATE:
Here is the January monthly update from Aleita at Gilbane.
As mentioned above, Gilbane (GBCo) is taking a deeper dive into how the scope of work at the NACTC building impacts the schedule. Initial review suggests that GBCo would not be complete with work within or around the NACTC building prior to school starting in September. NPS has already expressed the need to occupy the building at the start of the school year and will work with GBCo on fencing and staging to ensure the building stays open. More info to follow after the drawings are completed with NACTC open to our students and administration if the NACTC building is retained.
Here is the Gilbane Two Week Look Ahead: Thank you Billy and Kristin! Wednesday 2/19/25 through Tuesday 03/04/25
DiGregorio Sitework
Erosion Control and Site Maintenance / Cleanup Operations around entire site Working on Water and Drainage
Planning for February Break Work – Trade Parking @ Bus Loop
(2/15 through 2/23)
-Work in West parking Lot
-Cut & Cap Water Feed to Hydrant on East Elevation
Plan for April Break Work
(4/19 thru 4/27)
Continue logistic and schedule development for Summer Work
Capasso Masonry
Caulking / Punch List
Shepard Steel Structural & Misc Metals
Handrails
Greenwood Roofing
Edge Metal & Coping / Gutters
Punchlist
Century Drywall
Frame / Board & Tape 1stFloor
Continue FRP In Kitchen Areas
Plywood in Gym
H.Carr Ceilings
Re-work Tectum panels Construction Tech
Grid & Tile All Floors
Shea Painting
Classrooms and Corridors
Stairwell Railings & Stringers
Chandler Glass
Continue Exterior Curtain Wall / Interior Glass
Ruggieri Flooring
LVT Install Floors 1
Pavilion Tile1st
Floor Bathrooms / Corridor
Northeast Interiors
Classroom & Lab Casework All Floors
Tavares
Toilet Partitions & Bathroom Accessories
Walker Specialties
Install Window Shades
Arden Engineering
Overhead in Kitchen
Finishes 2nd& 3rd
Floors – Start on 1st
Hot Water Heaters / Gas to Lab Casework
Rossi Electric
Overhead Electrical – Low Voltage Rough-In 1stFloor
Auditorium, Construction Tech & Student Commons Overhead
Main Electrical Rooms
Energize Lights and Power Upper Floors
Delta Mechanical & Fire Suppression
Mechanical piping install / Hang & Tie – VRF Units 1st Floor Overhead
Install Ductwork 1stFloor
Fire Protection @ Ceilings, Testing
Other Items:
NACTC / Civil Drawings pricing after the NACTC decision is finalized
Pending Authorization to Proceed: Aleita Hall (Gilbane)
1. The following changes are pending approval:
2. ATP-123 Provide Site Furnishings – Issued 01/28/2025 – On HOLD. C.Jermain coordinating with the City.
3. ATP-125 Provide Granite Curb at Old Fort Parking Lot – Issued 01/31/2025 – Approved at CORG Meeting 02/11/2025. Pending SBC Approval
4. ATP-127 Site Signage – Issued 02/14/2025. SLAM/Downes review
Pending Changes: Aleita Hall (Gilbane)
1. Dedication Plaque
2. Site Plantings by Phase
3. Vinyl Graphic at Student Commons
4. Bulletin 036 – Dumpster Enclosure
Potential Changes: Aleita Hall (Gilbane)
1. No update
SLAM UPDATE:
Design A/E update: Catherine Ellithorpe and Ted Tolis (The SLAM Collaborative) SLAM is preparing the following documents:
1. Bulletin 035 – NACTC Remaining. SLAM to issue drawings for new water meter assembly in NACTC.
2. Bulletin 037 – Adding Bollards ONGOING
3. Student Commons Wall Graphic Design ONGOING
4. Dedication Plaque – ONGOING
SLAM continues to work on:
1. Submittals
2. RFI responses
3. Field Visits/Reports
RIDEM: Catherine Ellithorpe (The SLAM Collaborative)
1. SLAM to review status of final RIDEM submission after NACTC re-design decision is finalized.
2. SLAM to finalize RIDEM application with Pare
OPM -DOWNES UPDATE
Utilities: Deb Reading (Downes Construction-OPM)
The following utility updates are:
1. Electrical: Connected and turned on
2. Gas: Connected
3. Communications: Cox is on site working with IT
4. Water: Connected
Neighbor Communication: Deb Reading (Downes); Aleita Hall (Gilbane) Questions were recently submitted regarding the project. See the questions below with the best answers we are able to provide at this time.
1. Could you outline what work will remain and the process for finishing New Rogers and its environs?
The Gilbane timeline is:
a. New RHS Building Completed by June 2025
b. Demolition of old building begins through November 2025
c. Final Sitework – August 2026
2. Who will be responsible for the supervision and completion of this work, School Building Committee, School Board, or is the City in charge/responsible?
a. The SBC, along with the Newport School Committee, will be responsible for the completion of the school building project.
3. When do you expect the project to be “done and dusted” – Plaques hung and contractors gone.
a. The building will have plaques hung by August 2025. The contractors will be onsite for another year completing the utility work and Phase II of the
landscaping for the school building project.
4. Will the NACTC building be retained?
That decision is not final yet. It is to be voted on at the next NSC meeting on February 26th; 5:30pm at Pell School.
a. How much will the retention cost? See the letter from Co-Chair Bolan to the NSC regarding retaining the NACTC building. NSC letter
b. What advantages does its retention bring? The automotive and cosmetology programs for students stay intact and on campus. The school budget does not have to finance offsite bussing or rental of other properties to keep the programs. The Superintendent’s office and administration may avoid renting additional space, and there may be additional office space to rent out.
c. It seems quite late in the building process to be worrying about changes like the fate of the NACTC building. Why? The newly elected members of the NSC made it a priority to keep the building. They, along with other members of the NSC, after hearing from many alumni and residents during their election
campaigns of community members’ desire to keep the programs on campus- and not interrupt the programming for students.
5. What is the current size of the “PILE”? Current volume in the stockpile is estimated to be 50,000 CY. Total volume to be added is estimated to be ~7,000 CY pending final drawings and earthwork calculations.
a. What is the plan for its disposition/schedule? The SBC plan continues to use as much of the soil as possible during the landscaping and other projects after the new school building is completed and open. That has not changed.
b. Who is responsible for it? In a letter to the City, RIDEM, RI Department of Environmental Management stated the City has oversight of this. At this time, we believe the City is progressing with testing the old dump, using the consultant VHB, and will determine next steps once VHB has issued their report.
6. Does the City plan to use any of the excess land around the school for amenities like a Dog Park, Pickleball Court, Bike Path, BMX Track? This needs to be deferred to the City.
a. Has the Open Space Committee looked at this? Not that we are aware of at this time.
Stockpile/Existing Soil Reuse: Aleita Hall (Gilbane); Ted Tolis (SLAM); Tim Theis (PARE) and Deb Reading (Downes)
1. Discussion on hold pending NACTC decision. The goal of the team is to reuse as much soil as possible.
Owner Provided Equipment: FFE/ EPlus (Gilbane, SLAM, Downes, & NPS) Downes provided the following updates:
1. FF&E – Pending RIDE Approval which would then allow the PO to be issued. It was noted that SLAM/Downes responded to RIDE comments.
2. e-Plus – Coordination meetings to re-commence this month.
3. Movers – no further update provided this date
4. Gym Equipment Bidders – Downes provided NPS with quotes for athletic equipment
Consolidated Action Item List:
Director Young and Principal Vance will continue to meet with the “Detail” working group to facilitate the equipment moves, staff room assignments, student building tours, and other detail matters that require consideration before the school year ends and the new one begins. Co Chair Bolan is participating in as many meetings as possible. Dr. Jermain and others are available to confer when requested.
So, February is wrapping up- and with it we hope for warmer weather and sunshine. Let’s hope for an early spring! We look forward to seeing many of you at our SBC meeting this Monday at 5:30 at Pell Elementary School. The agenda for the meeting is HERE. Thank you again to all our members and their hard work. The finish line is now in sight- and with it a ribbon cutting in August. Stay tuned for more information and again- Thank you everyone for your support and all the hundreds of hours you have all given for the once in a lifetime project.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Becky and Louisa
