Guilford High School Building Committee Works Diligently On Minute Details

Since April the Guilford High School Building Committee (GHSBC) has been working on the Design Documents Phase of the new high school building project.

This most recent phase involves going from room to room, floor to ceiling, in each quadrant of the new building, to review general categories of flooring, ceiling treatments and wall construction, in addition to roofing and general siding. Discussions revolved around the need for tiles, wood or vinyl flooring, masonry vs. sheetrock walls, as well as the acoustical concerns of the walls and ceilings. 

“Each phase gets a little more details so that the costing of everything can be more specific,” said Mary Beeman, chair of the communications subcommittee and member of the performing arts subcommittee and emergency shelter subcommittee.

Recent discussions also focused on some of the items that may be added at a later date, depending on cost, such as the roofing system that may resist high wind speeds, the 6 feet bleachers in the Auxiliary Gym and the Black Box Theater.   

Voters last June approved spending $92 million to build a new high school to address numerous educational deficiencies identified in the current high school.

The project calls for a three-story, 211,000-square-foot building that would be built on the site of the current high school on New England Road. 

The state has approved reimbursing the town 31 percent, or $28.6 million, of the project’s costs, leaving the town to pay for the remaining $63.6 million.

The committee expects they will have 100% Design Document Cost Estimates by September 11. They will receive the figures for review via e-mail a few days prior to the public meeting on the 11th.

The Construction Document Phase follows, when much more specific decisions will be discussed regarding the floors, walls, and ceilings.  “Is it broadloom carpet or is it carpet tiles? Is it a cement floor? What type of cement floor is it?” Beeman explained.

“One of our biggest challenges is to stay true to our timeline,” explains Beeman. "The hope is that by next Spring we will breaking ground, in 2013.”

This volunteer nine-member committee, along with two alternates, meets almost every Tuesday evening, at 7 p.m. at the Community Center, along with representatives from Architects Tai Soo Kim, he constructions manager, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Freeman and GHS Principal Richard Misenti, operations manager, faculty, student representatives, GHS neighborhood liaisons and Guilford residents.

"It’s going great,” said Beeman. “I must say it’s one of the strongest committees I’ve ever served on. Everybody has their areas of expertise.  Everybody does their homework.  We work very well together, with good humor.”

For information on updates, committee minutes and any other information pertinent to he new high school log onto guilfordhigh.com.