AMHERST — Construction bids for the new Fort River Elementary School have come in under budget, bringing the total bid savings on the project to date to $4.8 million, according to the town.
Bids were opened Sept. 17 and presented to the Elementary School Building Committee on Sept. 20.
The town received three bids for the project, with all coming in below the budgeting amount. CTA Construction Managers of Waltham submitted the lowest of the three bids for the construction of the school itself at $73.48 million. The other bidders were J&J Contractors of North Billerica with a $75.01 million bid and Fontaine Brothers Inc. of Springfield with a $75.62 million bid.
All three firms are experienced, and the town’s architect DiNisco Design Inc. have worked with all three successfully.
“I speak for the whole committee when I say we were thrilled when the bids came in below budget. This means that we can move ahead to build the school. There’s a green light to go ahead,” said Chair of the Elementary School Committee and Town Councilor Cathy Schoen. “Amherst will have a model school with light-filled classrooms for children to learn in a quiet, energy efficient school with geothermal and solar systems.”
The low bidder will be required to provide necessary paperwork to comply with the bid requirements. After further review and ensuring compliance, Town Manager Paul Bockelman will award the bid.
With the three bids coming in so closely to one another, the owner’s project manager explained this indicated that the bid documents were thorough and well-coordinated and that coming in below the estimate indicates a competitive bid environment.
“This is all good news for the town,” said Bockelman. “It indicates that multiple bidders were interested in working on this project and that the market is becoming more competitive.”
Bockelman added many thanks to the town’s architect DiNisco Design Inc., the Owner’s Project Manager Anser Advisory Management LLC, and to Town Capital Projects Manager Robert Peirent for their attention to detail in preparing the bid documents.
Schoen added thanks to the work by DiNisco Design Inc. for their efficient work leading to a scenario where all bids could come in so closely together in range.
“There were very few questions of the design team. The drawings were so accurate that the bids came in quite near each other and all of them were under budget, which is a good line for the budget as we move ahead,” Schoen said.
The town will work with the CTA construction manager to complete the bid award. If completed, construction mobilization could begin in early October. The goal is to open the building in the fall of 2026. The town manager will ensure any savings are reserved as savings to address any new or unanticipated costs.
“At this point the basic check is to make sure all the pieces are in place,” Schoen said. “It’s making sure the pieces are in place.”
The new school will replace two schools — Wildwood and Fort River Elementary Schools — with one new elementary school on the Fort River site. The new school will be kindergarten through fifth grade. The three-story school will have a capacity of 575 students, with five classrooms per grade.
The building will also be net zero energy using ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to supply 100% of the energy for the building. The site will include space for outdoor learning and play, with accessible playground equipment.
Schoen added children and families will see expansive community fields for outdoor play and learning with the project as restoration of the fields, the addition of basketball courts, trails, rain gardens and more for residents of all ages to benefit from the new space. The school building is designed to enable after-hours use, including a cafeteria with a state for performances.
State support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority is set at $50.2 million, Eversource incentives for energy efficiency and ground source heat pumps will provide $1.6 million, and Community Preservation Act funds will provide $700,000 for fields, with the remaining being paid by the town. Town officials will continue to seek additional funding to offset the costs of taxpayers.
Voters approved overwhelmingly municipal funding for the project in a debt exclusion vote on May 2, 2023.
The environmentally friendly school building is planned to be opened by fall 2026 and is looking to be a huge boost to the district and overall community.
“The town of Amherst is getting both a community resource and a fabulous school for our kids,” Schoen said.
