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By MICHAEL SOUZA
NARRAGANSETT – With less than a month left before children head back to classes, work on the Narragansett Elementary School has shifted into high gear.
While visibly in disarray, work is on schedule, according to School Building Committee Chairman Warren Pelton. “There have been some things that have come up that were unexpected. Once you open up a wall, sometimes you never know what you’re going to find. But there hasn’t been anything major, certainly nothing physical that puts us off schedule,” he said. Just to make sure things go as planned, the committee has scheduled weekly meetings during the month of August.
The status of the elementary school was brought up briefly at Monday’s town council meeting. Residents concerned about the condition of the school and the presence of asbestos raised questions during the open forum. “I am sure the elementary school will not open until the safety of the students is assured,” said council president T. Brian Handrigan.
According to Pelton, some asbestos was unexpectedly discovered, but the issue has been addressed and remedied. He inspected progress on the work Wednesday morning. “The smartest thing [the committee] ever did was to hire a construction manager. With that kind of oversight, we know things are being done the right way. “We discovered some asbestos and had it properly removed. Asbestos removal put a significant cost on us, but you have to do things the right way. It’s no longer an issue,” he said. “He’s also there to make sure we get the best costs available.”
The entire school reconstruction and improvement project was estimated to cost $21.5 million. Initial bids for this phase came in at $10 million, a figure lower than the expected $10.8 million. Since then, things have developed which have caused the estimates to fluctuate. There have been some extra costs that weren’t anticipated. Recent estimates of the project indicate the final cost to be more than the initial $21.5 million. Cost has been an issue, causing building committee and school committee members to explore a variety of alternatives. One such alternative is the demolition and removal of a portion of the elementary school. Demolition would be a less expensive option than renovation. Work being performed at the elementary school includes new roofing, doors and fire doors. Renovations to the floor and tiles have been accomplished, as well as the installation of new piping and wiring.
“If you think about it, the building is about 50 years old,” said Pelton. “After all that time, some of the piping was in pretty bad shape, and some of the wiring needed upgrading. “Overall, things are going well,” he said.
Commencement of the project stopped when the town and Dimeo, the contractor, could not agree to the terms of the contract. Knowing the project may be delayed, Pelton repeatedly pleaded the town council to wrap up negotiations at that time. Now, the race is on. |
