Board Explores Project Labor Agreement

The facilities committee met to review design progress.

The Bronxville Board of Education is retaining a consultant to assess the District's eligibility for a project labor agreement. If approved, a project labor agreement would permit the district to hire a single prime contractor to coordinate and manage the various trades involved in renovating the School's auditorium and Middle School science labs.

The Board awarded a contract to Hill International to conduct the study for a cost not to exceed $30,000. The study, a required step in the process, will determine if a project labor agreement would meet thresholds of cost effectiveness and labor unrest. After completion, the report will be reviewed by legal counsel prior to making a decision about whether to move forward with this approach.

Earlier this week the Board's advisory committee on facilities also heard progress reports from KG&D concerning the auditorium and science lab renovations. Architects and school administrators have met with user groups to confirm the program of spaces and the detailed planning has begun:

Auditorium

• KG&D has completed the exact measurement of existing conditions using laser scanning and 3-D modeling.
• The lead and asbestos survey has been completed and we are waiting for the results.
• The engineers will investigate subsurface conditions, study existing pilings and the need for additional pilings. (This is Tom Nichol's area of expertise, and he asked to be a part of the study.)
• KG&D has determined it would be feasible to convert the Foundation office to a rest room (for boys; there is a girl's room across the hall)
• The work with the theater consultants has been productive but has been somewhat slower than expected.

Science Labs

• One of the rooms will remain a general classroom, leaving four labs. 
• The gas feed will be to the demonstration tables only.
• One portable fume hood will be purchased.
• To assure flexibility, the lab tables will be movable, not fixed.
• All labs will have sufficient wireless access
• The boys bathroom, which is not handicapped accessible, will be converted to a prep/storage area. Another bathroom is nearby in the crossover area.
• We will reuse doors and specialized cabinets for goggles and chemicals.

In a separate matter, consultant Bill Aniscovich reported on the current state of the concession stand/maintenance shed/press box project. He expects state approval pending receipt of the electrical engineer's revisions, at which time the district will re-bid this work as a combined project, hoping to lower the cost.  The first round of bids were rejected as all bids exceeded the budgeted costs and available funds.