Project Information
The City of Quincy and the Quincy Public School Department has begun construction on its largest municipal project in the City's history, a new comprehensive high school. The 330,000 square foot new high school will provide state-of-the-art education technologies throughout.
To see a larger image, click here...
Progress
The new high school is being constructed in phases that are carefully planned to minimize disruption to the school day balanced with maximizing safety and efficiency.
Phase 1: July 2007 – October 2007 - COMPLETE
Phase 1 will relocate the mechanical room in the existing school in anticipation of demolition of the rear/north wing of the building.
Phase 2: July 2007-February 2009 - ONGOING
Phase 2 involves the demolition of the rear/north wing of the existing Quincy HS and construction of a new four-story 128,000 SF science and technology wing. Phase 2 involves the demolition of the rear/north wing of the existing Quincy High School and the construction of a new four-story 128,000 sq. ft. Science and Technology wing. Site utility work, including installation of a new sanitary main and drainage main, is nearing completion, which will allow the science and technology wing entry concrete foundations to be put in place.
Passersby can now see the “skeleton” of the new science and technology wing going up as steel is erected, from the back of the building forward. Steel erection will near 50% complete by mid-February, and will be completed in mid-March. About this time, heavy construction traffic flow will be reduced as steel completes, including the removal of the crane currently on site to erect the steel. Following completion of steel erection, onlookers will see the beginning of the new building’s exterior façade and roofing beginning in April.
Phase 3: March 2009-August 2010
Phase 3 consists of the demolition of the existing CTE building and the construction of the new 3-story 224,000 SF gymnasium, auditorium, and administration wing.
Quick Facts About the New Quincy High School
- Sustainable Energy Garden with Photovoltaic Electrical Panels, Solar Hot Water Collection and Science Greenhouse
- A 750-Seat, Air Conditioned Theater with Dramatic Arts Classroom
- Integrates the Quincy High School Technology and Core Curriculum
- Large 3-Station Gymnasium with Multi-Purpose Room and Fitness/Cardiovascular Room
- Wireless Intranet Access throughout the Facility
- New, State-of-the-Art Library Media Center with Separate Computer Lab
- Academic Computer Labs
- Multifunctional Large Group Instruction Spaces
Building for the Future…Building Sustainably
The new educational facility will showcase high performance and green building elements. The project's design and approach target meeting MA Collaborative for High Performance Schools (MA-CHPS) criteria to gain additional grant funds from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. For example, typical classrooms will have sloped acoustical ceilings to allow for greater day-lighting and tall operable windows with room dimming shades. These types of amenities are not only energy efficient, but also provides for a better learning environment.
Phasing to Minimize Disruption
The construction of the new Quincy High School is to take place in phases from 2007-2010. Because the school will remain in full operation throughout the course of this project, all construction work will be phased. Throughout the planning of this project the key factor and primary focus in determining how to phase the work, has been insuring that the students' education is not negatively impacted in any way. There have been several meetings between the faculty, staff, administration, owner project manager, architect, and construction manager to insure that the phasing plan meets everyone's needs and addresses the concerns of disrupting the learning process.
After much discussion, a phasing plan was developed that meets all of the needs of the school while allowing the construction team to work in a sensible and cost-effective manner. One key aspect of this phasing plan is the use of Coddington Hall. The City of Quincy in August, 2007 reached an agreement with Quincy College to begin reusing Coddington Hall as a Secondary Education Facility. During August and September 2007, Quincy Public Schools Maintenance Staff renovated classrooms and administration offices into eighteen (18) classrooms that will be used by students and staff throughout the construction period.
Indoor Air Quality Plan
An Indoor Quality Plan (IAQ Plan) has been developed to ensure that construction dust and debris does not migrate into the occupied areas of the building. This plan requires the construction of fully secured and airtight walls between the occupied and construction areas. Also, negative pressure fans will keep the construction areas from pushing dust into the occupied spaces.
Ensuring Safety
With school in session, there are some very specific requirements for student, teachers and staff for getting around the building. There are numerous construction partitions in place throughout the school. These partitions separate the work areas from the occupied school areas. The work areas have separate entrances and exits to the outside of the building. These are clearly marked as construction entrances and as hard hat and safety glasses areas. It is critical that building occupants pay close attention to the directions on any signage, use only doors that are designated for school use, and stay away from construction areas. On the exterior, fences will be installed with similar signage closing off areas of the building.
Everything has been laid out in a safe and thoughtful way, to ensure that the safety of the school's occupants is never in jeopardy. It is extremely important that everyone helps by staying out of construction areas and adhering to the directions given by school staff and signage. With proper attention and respect, the occupants and construction personnel will be able to happily coexist with minimal impact to either party's operations.
CORI Process
The safety and security of students, teachers, staff and administration is of the utmost importance in this construction project. The Construction Project Team has implemented a process to ensure that those people who come to work at the existing Quincy High School are thoroughly checked out prior to their acceptance to work on the project. This process is referred to as the "CORI" process.
"CORI" stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. The first day that a worker comes to the site, they will fill out a CORI application which will then be processed in their state of residence. A report will then be forwarded to the City of Quincy and the determination will be made as to whether the employee is fit to work on this project. Upon approval, the worker will receive a photo ID.