Government

City Has $4M Left from Elementary School Projects, Which Will Go to High School & Middle School Projects

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Cunniff Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in Watertown to be rebuilt or renovated. The projects closed out with a combined surplus of $4 million. The new school opened in 2021. (Photo by Watertown Public Schools)

Watertown’s elementary school building projects finished with a surplus of more than $4 million, which will allow the high school construction project to stay on budget, and fund designs for a potential new middle school. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved transfers of the $4,052,660 left over from the construction of the new Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools, and the renovation and expansion of Lowell Elementary School.

Schools

School Building Committee Members Raise New Strategies to Keep Hopes of Middle School Renovation Alive

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

While the possibility of totally renovating or rebuilding Watertown Middle School appeared to be over, some members of the School Building Committee brought up strategies that they said could still allow the project to happen. The Middle School was a major item on the School Building Committee’s agenda on Sept. 17. The meeting followed the Sept. 9 City Council meeting where City Manager George Proakis told the Council that he would not recommend that Watertown try to rebuild or fully renovate the Middle School.

Schools

Cost Estimates for Watertown Middle School Project Concern Building Committee

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A vision of what a new Watertown Middle School could look like created by Ai3 Architects and presented to the School Committee. Members of the School Building Committee expressed concerns over the cost of the proposals for rebuilding or renovating and expanding Watertown Middle School. On June 18, Ai3 Architects presented the preliminary cost estimates for the project, and the two “preferred” option came in more than $30 million above the amount of money set aside by the City: $84.7 million. The “add/reno” option would keep the newer section of the Middle School. That includes the auditorium and gymnasium, both of which would receive “comprehensive renovations.”

Schools

Familiar Architecture Firm Picked to Design Watertown Middle School, Committee Concerned with Budget & Getting “A Team”

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Watertown Middle School

A familiar firm has been selected to design the new Watertown Middle School, but members of the School Building Committee had concerns about getting the firm’s “A Team,” and whether the City can afford to build the kind of school they want for the students of Watertown. Wednesday night, the School Building Committee selected Ai3 Architects to do the feasibility study for the new middle school. The firm that designed Watertown’s three elementary schools and the new high school. Ai3 was one of four finalists, and narrowly got the top ranking by the nine members of the committee. Each firm presented ideas for how they would approach building the school.

Around Town

Community Forum on Watertown High School to Discuss Traffic Studies, Swing Space

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Ai3 ArchtiectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School will look like (note the colors have not been settled). The latest community forum for the Watertown High School project will include a discussion of the final traffic studies for both the new WHS and the temporary location at Moxley Field. The forum, which is the 10th for the project, will be held on Wednesday, May 18 at approximately 7 p.m. It will follow the School Building Committee meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. Participants can join remotely via Zoom. Other subjects will include review of the swing space projects, a look at the project schedule and there will be an opportunity for questions and comments. The presentation for the forum will be posted on the Watertown Building for the Future site prior to the meeting.

Schools

Demolition of Old Hosmer School Will Impact Neighbors; Placement of Solar Panels Discussed

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Charlie BreitroseThe new Hosmer School opened in February but the old section still stands. It will be soon be deomolished. The brand new Hosmer Elementary School recently opened its doors, but the main classroom building of the old one remains standing. It will soon be torn down and it will have some impacts on the neighborhood, including cutting off water for a period. Tom Finnegan from Hill International told the School Building Committee on Wednesday that the demolition of the old building will soon begin.

Government

Council Approves Borrowing $198 Million for State of the Art, Green Watertown High School

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Ai3 ArchtiectsA rendering of what the new Watertown High School will look like (note the colors have not been settled). The City Council approved borrowing $198 million to construct the new school. School and City officials hailed the City Council’s approval of funding to build the new Watertown High School as an important step not just for the students of Watertown, but the community as a whole. Tuesday night’s approval of the borrowing of $198.8 million opens the way for the final planning and construction of a state-of-the-art, and energy efficient building to be constructed on the site of the current school. The figure covers the cost of construction, plus the creation of temporary swing space at Moxley Field.

Schools

Outdoor Spaces Planned for High School Project, Committee Wants More Details

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Ai3 ArchitectsThe outdoor space around the new Watertown High School will include an amphitheater west of the school, an outdoor learning area to the east, and a grassy area to the south. Designs for the new Watertown High School are coming together, but the School Building Committee would like some more specifics about the area east of the school. Landscape architects made some changes of the outdoor area along Common Street, said Arthur Eddy of Traverse at the Feb. 16 School Building Committee meeting. “You asked us to reduce paving within the site along Common Street,” Eddy said.