Significant progress has been made in recent weeks as construction crews continue their work building a new 550-student middle school at the site of the former Peck School. The project remains on budget and on schedule, with initial steel deliveries expected to arrive in early June.
Excavation work has been on-going, with a focus now on excavating west of the retaining wall that has been constructed on the site, as well as for underground piping. Electrical excavation work is expected to commence soon.
Work crews continue to form and pour footings, piers, and foundation walls. As of Tuesday, May 7, more than 1,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured, and backfilling has been completed about halfway up the retaining wall. Waterproofing and drainage board installation is ongoing.
All construction work is regularly reviewed and monitored. Lahlaf Geotechnical Consulting (LGCI) has continued to conduct field observations of excavation and footings. Allied Testing Laboratories, Inc. has continued to complete daily field density testing to ensure structural suitability of materials. Project team members continue to meet on site each Tuesday to review and discuss ongoing coordination. Representatives of the Mount Vernon Group and Fontaine Bros. also continue to coordinate daily on the submittal and RFI (“Request for Information”) process.
The $85.5-million project was officially approved in June 2023 by the City of Holyoke and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Of the total $85.5 million costs for demolishing Peck and building a new middle school, the City of Holyoke is responsible for paying approximately $27.1 million and the MSBA will reimburse approximately $58.4 million.
More information, including recent photos taken at the construction site, is available on the district website.