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September 15, 2008

Bid proposals

By Paul Leighton

BEVERLY — Building a new high school will cost about $66 million, plus another $5 million or $6 million if the city wants an artificial turf sports stadium, according to bids for the project opened Friday at City Hall.

Mayor Bill Scanlon said the bids for the high school came in about where he expected, but the proposals for the sports stadium were "maybe marginally" higher than he figured.

"The good news is that the base bid looks within reach," he said.

The proposals unveiled at City Hall provide the first definitive cost for a new school since the City Council approved spending $65 million in February 2006. Four companies submitted bids to become the general contractor for the project.

Brait Builders of Marshfield submitted the lowest bid at $65.9 million. Agostino Construction of East Providence had the highest bid at $70.4 million.

The total cost of the project hinges on whether the city decides to include one or two artificial turf fields in the project, or no fields at all. The first option is to build a field with 2,200 seats, lights and a building that will house bathrooms, changing rooms and a concession stand.

Bids for that option ranged from a low of $4.7 million to a high of $6.1 million. The price goes up if the city boosts the seating capacity to 4,000 and increases even more if it elects to build a second field with no seats inside the track oval.

Scanlon said he didn't want to say much about what options he would choose because he will talk about the project at tonight's City Council meeting. The council will have to vote again to appropriate the money for the project.

Asked about the chances of doing all three options, Scanlon said, "I worry if I can get one."

Scanlon said the city could wait and decide to build a field later. He also said he will seek private donations from "people of means" to help pay for a field. He said the state would match such donations "50 cents on the dollar."

"I'm looking for people to put up money," he said.

Whatever the final cost, the state is expected to pay for at least half of the project through the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Scanlon said the exact percentage will be finalized in the next few weeks. He has said in the past that the state could pay as much as 56 percent of the project.

Scanlon has 30 business days from Friday's bid opening to decide which company will get the job. He is obligated by law to choose the lowest "responsive and responsible bidder," according to David Gelineau, the city's purchasing director.

The new school, and the fields if they are approved, will be built on the site of the current high school on Sohier Road.

The project is a combination of building new and renovating existing space. Plans call for a new four-story academic building in the lower parking lot and renovations to the field house, cafeteria and auditorium. When that work is done, the four academic wings where students now attend school will be knocked down.

The new school would be ready for the start of the school year in 2010.

Included in the cost of the project are two items that weren't part of the original $65 million estimate. Scanlon said the project now includes about $1 million for terrazzo floors, which are more expensive but longer-lasting. It will also cost $2.5 million to $3 million to remove asbestos in the current high school before it is demolished.

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