The architectural firm of Harriman Architects and Engineers announced its initial estimate for the proposed additions and renovations to Gorham High School at a meeting of the GHS Building Committee on March 12. Superintendent Heather Perry gave assurances that the $96,798,527 estimate will change significantly before being finalized.
“This number is way too high,” she said, “and we need to find ways to get it down.” She announced that the process is set up for the Building Committee to have intensive discussion over the next two months about “needs versus wants.”
In addition to the Building Committee, made up of representatives from the Town Council, School Department, parents, students, and community members, Gorham residents will have opportunities to provide feedback through surveys and public meetings.
“The initial number is an estimate only,” Perry said, “and is not be the final number Gorham taxpayers will be asked to support when the project is brought to referendum, hopefully this year in November.”
The estimate is based on renovating the existing high school and building an additional two-story classroom wing. The new facility is projected to serve up to 1,100 students in grades 9-12. Currently, there are 868 students in a building constructed for 750 students. By 2028-29 the student population is expected to be 975.
The GHS Building Committee has identified other needs to be addressed by the project. These include the size of classrooms, programmatic needs, student safety, undersized cafeteria space, lack of parking, overused and outdated athletic fields, undersized nursing clinic space, and storage needs.
The proposed project would eliminate modular classrooms, move Adult Education from the middle school, replace some or all current building systems (heating, plumbing, electrical, etc.), reduce square foot cost of operations and maintenance, and expand parking.
Daniel Cecil of Harriman, who gave the presentation, said his firm will begin by going over the estimator’s numbers to see if they can reduce some estimated costs. Over the next several months they will be working with the Building Committee to seek “alternative ways to achieve goals that save money.”
Cecil noted that construction costs are rising, driven by an extremely competitive market, increasing supply costs, and difficulty recruiting skilled workers. This not only affects new construction but also renova- tions because “existing systems such as those for air quality are out-of-date and will need to be upgraded.” According to Norm Justice, Gorham Schools’ Facilities and Transportation Director, there could be millions of dollars in deferred renewal of systems alone.
The Committee is looking at proposed site plans with cost breakdowns by building areas. The estimated cost for the building and pad is $77,460,231 which comes to $263 per square foot, which Cecil said was in line with similar projects. Other estimated costs of about $18,500,000 would be for items such as moveable equipment, technology, administrative costs, fees, services, and reserves. Some of these estimated expenses are based on a percentage and could be less, in part because some furnishings from the existing building will be retained.
A separate committee, the Athletic Capital Campaign Committee (ACCC), is working to raise funds for new and improved athletic facilities. These costs are estimated to be about $10,000,000 and are not included in this estimate.
Further information including documents that support the estimate and site maps are available from the Gorham High School Building Project link on the Gorham School District website.
There was a joint Town Council and School Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 19, which was open to the public but there was no time slated for public comment. A Community Forum is planned for March 26 at 6 p.m. at Gorham High School. This will provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions and express opinions about the project.
The Building Committee will meet on April 11 and April 25 and, as Perry said, will work diligently to find ways to reduce overall anticipated costs “while still meeting the long-term educational needs of students for the next 20+ years.”
As one committee member put it, “We need to find that sweet spot between what our community will support and the educational needs of our students.”
The Gorham Times is aware that residents have many questions and concerns about the building project estimate. We will continue to research and address them in the next issue.
There will be a public forum on March 26 at 6 p.m. at Gorham High School.