The Holyoke City Council discusses approved MSBA repair projects at its Dec. 16 meeting.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media
HOLYOKE – The Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Board of Directors approved 93 potential projects in 45 districts that will benefit targeted school repairs, including three projects in Holyoke.
At the Dec. 16 City Council meeting, the council announced that MSBA approved the Lt. Elmer J. McMahon Elementary roof project, Maurice A. Donahue Elementary School partial roof replacement and Lt. Clayre Sullivan Middle School partial roof replacement.
The city will appropriate $636,812, which is in addition to the $4.4 million previously appropriated for the purpose of paying costs of a replacement on the McMahon Elementary School roof.
The city will also appropriate approximately $5.7 million for the purpose of paying costs of partial roof replacement and code-required upgrades at the Maurice A. Donahue Elementary School.
For Lt. Clayre Sullivan Middle School, the city will appropriate about $6.7 million for the purpose of paying costs of partial roof replacement and code-required upgrades.
The City Council approved sending the three items to the Finance Committee for further review before the items are sent back for final approval.
The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities.
Since its 2004 inception, the Authority has approved 1,138 projects and has made over $18.3 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects across the commonwealth.
According to MSBA, the accelerated repair program “focuses on the preservation of existing assets by performing energy-efficient and cost-saving upgrades, which will result in direct operational savings for school districts.”
It is offered by the state for specific work on windows, exterior doors and roofs.
The program aims to improve learning environments for children and teachers, reduce energy use and generate cost savings for districts.
“The Accelerated Repair Program allows us to partner with school districts on much-needed repairs that can greatly extend a school’s lifespan,” said State Treasurer and MSBA chair Deborah Goldberg. “Besides making the learning environment more comfortable for our schoolchildren, these repairs also make our schools more energy efficient and generate substantial cost savings. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
In March, the City Council submitted statements of interest to the MSBA for invitation into the Accelerated Repair Program for roof replacements at several of its schools, including Holyoke High School, Dr. Marcella R. Kelly, Lt. Clayre P. Sullivan, Lt. Elmer J. McMahon and Maurice A. Donahue Elementary schools.
During the City Council meeting in September, the council announced that the three projects that MSBA approved for 80% reimbursement included Holyoke High School, Kelly Elementary School and McMahon Elementary School.
The total project budgets for those three schools are $12.9 million, $8.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively.
