The outlines of the new elementary school are slowly taking shape, replacing the giant excavation that marked the site all summer. The roof beams peeking above the construction fence form a familiar angle—one that residents saw in dozens of sketches before the 2018 Town Meeting vote.
In an update for the School Building Committee Oct. 17, NV5 project manager Tom Murphy said the concrete foundation work is complete, with the storm drain and sewer line also in place. Phil Conroy of Shawmut, the construction manager, said about a third of the structural steel has arrived on site and is being set up, with the rest scheduled to arrive in stages.
When the weather grows colder, workers will cover the building’s skeleton with tarps and warm the inside so work can continue. Conroy said he expects to begin tarping in late November or early December. The process of “pouring slab” for floors will probably go on until March, he said.
A worker installs the upper beams of the new elementary school. (Photo by Tim Clark)
One nagging question is the timing of a new utility pole from National Grid. Murphy said he is waiting for the state to issue a permit. Once the pole is in place and power lines are installed, workers will no longer need to rely on a generator, which is a more costly source of electricity. Murphy said he hopes National Grid will have power for the site available in early winter, but he said the company is “unpredictable.”
The current group of elementary students will be able to leave a permanent mark on the new school. In mid-November, a big beam for the west front of the building will arrive at school, and all students will have a chance to sign their names on it. It will be one of the last beams to go up, marking the completion of a major stage in the construction. Soon after the last beam is in place in December, the School Building Committee plans to have a traditional “topping off” ceremony.
Hildreth Elementary School Principal Josh Myler said a group of students is keeping close watch on the progress of the steel framing. Some kids find the welders’ work fascinating, he said, while others regard it nervously. “They’ve heard looking at it will fry your eyeballs,” he said, but teachers are reassuring them that just catching a glimpse won’t do any harm.
