What’s wrong with the existing buildings?  The school is only 50 years old. The facility needs to be brought up to current lateral-load safety and seismic code standards. Handicapped accessibility and ADA compliance are absent, there is no fire-safety sprinkler system in most of the buildings, and significant asbestos-containing material and PCB-containing items on site require abatement.  Systems are near or beyond their expected life and need replacement or significant upgrade, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical and sewage disposal systems.  The roofs are leaking and need immediate attention as well.  In addition, the design of Wayland High School in the 1950s did not anticipate the integration of technology in education.  Electrical wiring and space for technology is inadequate, even with the advent of WIFI networks. Science labs cannot accommodate the new equipment that is needed, and lack safety features.  Click here for more details.

Wouldn’t it be less expensive to renovate?  This question has been studied extensively over the past six years.  Renovation scenarios were designed, and detailed cost estimates prepared by independent, industry expert estimators.  The current team looked at three different renovation scenarios.  Each time, renovation has proven more expensive than new construction with lesser quality results.  This is because the existing buildings need extensive work to be brought up to current standards, including structural work.  Also, renovation requires temporary facilities and moves, which increase the cost, duration and disruption.  Even smaller-scale, emergency renovation projects can trigger requirements for code compliance and can grow sizably in scope and cost without delivering much educational benefit.  For more about the options considered and their costs, see the Fact Sheet on Options Analysis here.

What about the “stop gap” project?  The “stop gap” scenario was first defined and analyzed in the 2004 study, as a full code upgrade with the addition of a few classrooms to alleviate the severest overcrowding.    Unlike the other scenarios defined, it would not meet the educational specifications or the MSBA guidelines, nor fully address the NEASC issues.  During the Feasibility phase this spring, the HSBC revisited stop gap and performed an analysis comparing its costs with other options, focusing on the differences between them.  The stop gap costs would be close to other approaches that delivered much more educational benefit, so it was dropped from further study.  For more information about the “stop gap” project, see the Fact Sheet:  Alternative Projects here.

Can the project be deferred until the economy improves?  Several regulatory agencies, including our accreditation organization, have cited Wayland for deficiencies and require regular progress reports.  Health and safety issues are more pressing each year.  Action has already been deferred for many years and cannot be put off indefinitely.   The state approved the project on September 30 and offered a $25 million grant, so by law Wayland must approve funding this fall or forfeit the grant.  A future, alternate project would have to start the grant process over again, and the state has already announced a reduction in its reimbursement rate for future projects.  Also, building costs are very favorable right now, with many recent school construction bids coming in under budget. 

Couldn’t we do smaller projects or repairs over a number of years?  This approach would not address the educational and accreditation issues, and would introduce lengthy delays in addressing health and safety issues.  In 2006, Turner Construction prepared a 3-year plan for repairs at WHS;  however this analysis is dated and did not include a complete project plan.  Such projects can trigger requirements to bring the entire facility up to current codes and standards.  For example, spending $14 million over 3 years would require full ADA compliance for the entire facility.  Without a project plan, an analysis of applicable codes and discussions with permitting authorities, such triggers cannot be estimated, but the scope of repair projects can grow sizably and may reach or exceed the total costs of the proposed project or the stop-gap option.  For more information, see the Fact Sheet:  Alternative Projects here.

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