The project has contracted with a local pest control company to control the pest population and minimize the impact on the surrounding areas.

In addition to the control of pests on site, the Inspectional Services Department has instituted a neighborhood-wide rodent control program.

There will be no blasting on this project.

The project has hired a company, Hartford Structural Inspections (HSI), to conduct pre-construction video surveys of neighboring properties. These pre-construction surveys are optional and are offered at no cost to homeowners. A notice describing the service and providing contact information was previously sent. After a video survey has been performed, if a homeowner thinks the project has caused damage to their property, the homeowner should contact HSI directly.

The Lynnfield Street roadway project is scheduled for completion in June 2025. The Broadway roadway project is scheduled for completion in May 2027. Refer to the City of Lynn website for additional information https://www.lynnma.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=109810&pageId=294667.

No – after review of the survey results and additional opportunities to share concerns it has been determined that the school arrival and dismissal times will remain the same  until further notice.

Once the new school is open, Pickering Middle School and Sisson Elementary School will no longer share a single drop-off area, rather they will each have a separate, dedicated drop-off area. Sisson Elementary School drop-off/pick-up will remain on Conomo Avenue and Pickering Middle School drop-off/pick-up will be located off Magnolia Avenue. At that time, the two school principals will coordinate to develop a plan for drop-off/pick-up and there will be an opportunity to re-evaluate the school start times.

Building construction inevitably includes some level of disruption, most commonly in the form of noise and dust. There are several strategies the construction team is using to mitigate construction noise and dust:

• • • the construction team has installed a 6-ft high temporary construction fence with a sound barrier screen around the full perimeter of the construction site,
    • construction activities will generally occur during the day and will not occur overnight or in the early morning,
    • some of the noisiest activities are planned to occur over the summer when school is not in session,
    • the construction team is applying water and/or calcium chloride to the ground surfaces to control dust,
    • stockpiles of soil are covered at the end of each workday to minimize windborne dust, and
    • asphalt binder will be installed as early as possible to encapsulate loose soil below hardscape.

No. The construction site includes the former Magnolia Park. A temporary construction fence is installed around the perimeter of the construction site and pedestrians are not able to cross the park to access the schools. The schools will remain accessible via Conomo Avenue.

The old Pickering School is not scheduled for demolition. Once the new Pickering Middle School is in operation, Sisson Elementary School staff and students will be able to use the gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium of the old Pickering School. Empty classrooms and administrative areas may become “swing space” and temporarily house staff and students while other school buildings undergo improvements.

The proposed plantings are evergreen trees (Red Cedar) and will be located near the property line. Over time, the fully grown trees be approximately 10-15 feet in diameter and 60 feet tall. The goal of the trees is to create privacy for abutters and to breakdown the scale of the new building.

Through access will be reserved exclusively for emergency vehicles. A closed gate will prevent passenger vehicles from driving through the site to connect Magnolia Avenue abd Broadway near Walgreens. The new site entrance on Magnolia Avenue will be for student drop-off and staff parking and will loop back to Magnolia Avenue to allow vehicles to exit the property.

The original ground improvement system for the new Pickering Middle School was a series of rammed aggregate piers (RAPs). However, during installation of the RAPs, it was discovered that the existing soils are prone to liquefaction. Liquefaction is a phenomenon that can occur when loosely packed, water-logged sediments at or near the ground surface lose their strength in response to strong ground shaking, such as in an earthquake. To address the liquefaction potential at the new Pickering Middle School, a new ground improvement system was designed to include earthquake drains, rigid inclusions, and a load transfer platform. The revised ground improvements were designed by the geotechnical engineer of record, Terracon, in coordination with an experienced installer, Keller North America. The proposed system was peer reviewed by two sets of independent geotechnical engineers hired by the City of Lynn, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), and Consigli, Haley & Aldrich (H&A).

In a parallel effort, the previously installed support of excavation sheet pile system was reviewed by SGH. Under SGH’s direction, the system was augmented with a series of structural tiebacks and an area of jet grout columns. The support of excavation has been continually monitored for movement during and has been seen to be stable.

An earthquake drain system is an array of perforated pipes wrapped in fabric that are installed vertically into the ground to provide relief for groundwater during a seismic event and prevent liquefaction.  At Pickering, the earthquake drains are installed a six-foot triangular grid and to a depth of 40 feet. For more detail, please use the website link below from Keller North America, who is the earthquake drain subcontractor for the new Pickering Middle School project:

https://www.keller-na.com/expertise/techniques/earthquake-drains

The project now has a system of rigid inclusions (concrete piers) installed below the new Pickering building. The rigid inclusions to not extend down to bedrock. Instead, they are designed to use surface friction between each pile and the surrounding soils to support the foundation of the building. The rigid inclusion system was specifically engineered to avoid building settlement issues. The geotechnical engineer of record, peer review engineers, and construction manager collectively determined that extending the rigid inclusions to bedrock would have been prohibitively expensive and structurally unnecessary.

After the soil liquefaction event of January 6, 2025, the structural engineer of record, Engineers Design Group (EDG), reviewed the school and determined the building structure was not damaged and the building remained safe for occupancy. There are cosmetic cracks to the interior masonry walls of Sisson that resulted from the soil liquefaction event, but they have no negative impact on the structural integrity of the school. An engineering team from Simpson Gumpertz & Heger has been monitoring Sisson’s structure and the existing cracks and they remain stable. Eventually, the cosmetic cracks will be repaired.

The project team continually monitors vibrations generated on site by construction activities to ensure they do not exceed thresholds that would cause further damage to the existing building.

Consigli will continue to monitor the temporary Sission playground and clean it as needed. Additionally, Consigli will continue to spray water on the construction site per their dust-mitigation plan, which will minimize dust and dirt from spreading from the construction site to surrounding areas.

The permanent Sission recess playground is scheduled to be complete by the end of the construction in December 2027.

• Tailored to meet District educational priorities
• Creates parity among the city’s middle schools
• Increase enrollment capacity
• Optimized classroom sizes and adjacencies
• Flexible building layout, including multi-purpose gymnasium, cafeteria, black-box theater, learning stairs, educational roof deck, movement studios, media center, and small group learning areas located on floors 3, 4, and 5
• High energy efficiency
• Access to natural light and exterior views
• Separate outdoor play areas for Pickering and Sisson students
• New public playground
• New public basketball court
• Increased parking for staff and visitors
• Creates separate drop-off/pick-up areas for Sisson and Pickering

Construction activities began in June 2024.

Construction Complete/New School Open – January 2028

Pickering MS Project Schedule Overview

Pickering MS Project Master Schedule

Pickering MS Construction Schedule

Yes, a redistricting plan was approved by the School Committee in June 2025.

The Goal of the redistricting plan is to balance all three middle schools, to serve student building capacity at each based on student enrollment trends. In developing the new districts, the three priorities were:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. minimize distance and maximize convenience for students,
            2. increase access to updated facilities, and
            3. better align the middle school districts with elementary school boundaries.

The new Pickering Middle School will be designed for an enrollment of 1,100 students, which is a significant increase to the existing Pickering Middle School’s enrollment of 543 students. This will help alleviate overcrowding at Thurgood Marshall, which is currently 16% over utilized.

The proposed redistricting will benefit all students:

• More students are assigned to their closest school
• More elementary schools assigned to one middle school
• More students at the new Pickering School

PROPOSED MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS:

• Breed: Callahan, Connery, Drewicz, Lincoln-Thompson, Sewell Anderson, part of Tracy, part of Washington
• Marshall: Brickett, part of Cobbet, Harrington, part of Ingalls, part of Washington
• Pickering: Aborn, part of Cobbet, Ford, Hood, Lynn Woods, Shoemaker, Sisson, part of Ingalls, part of Tracy

For more information, refer to the Middle School Redistricting presentation linked below.

REDISTRICTING PRESENTATION

• Anyone’s assigned middle school until the 2027-2028 school year.
• Anyone’s assigned elementary school or high school.
• Any programming regarding students’ ability to attend a school outside of their assigned district.

For more information, refer to the Middle School Redistricting presentation linked below.

REDISTRICTING PRESENTATION

During construction, the current drop-off/pick-up areas will remain on Conomo Avenue. Upon completion of the project, the Pickering Middle School drop-off/pick-up area will relocate to the main entrance of the new school building off Magnolia Avenue and the Sisson Elementary School drop-off/pick-up area will remain on Conomo Avenue.

During construction some of the current exits will not be in operation. The Sisson safety plan has been modified to identify primary and secondary egress paths from each room. The new safety plan has been incorporated into emergency evacuation practice drills with staff and students. The safety plan will not be shared publicly on this website for security reasons.

Yes, the proposed play area is approximately the same size as the former play area and tennis courts combined.

No, the park area is needed for construction activities and will be closed to the public. Upon completion of the project, a large portion of the former park will be used for staff and visitor parking. However, the former basketball court and playground will be replaced with a new basketball court and playground and both will be open to the public.

The project website will continue to serve as the hub for project information and includes a “Contact Us” link and this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Pickering School Building Committee meetings are held monthly and are open to the public. Meeting dates and times are publicly posted on the city’s website.

The project team will host occasional public forums to provide status updates and answer questions.

The public is always welcome to contact the Mayor’s office, Lynn Public Schools, and project team to ask questions and voice concerns. The project team’s email address is PickeringMSproject@leftfieldpm.com.

Upon completion of the project, a new basketball court and playground located along Magnolia Avenue will be open to the public.

Yes, the project includes fencing on three sides with gates to allow access to emergency and maintenance vehicles.

Interior and exterior renderings prepared by the design team are available in the DESIGN page on this website. Please use the link below to access the project renderings.

Current Project Rendering – CLICK HERE!

The proposed design was the culmination of many educational visioning sessions and resulting design options that were developed and presented by Raymond Design Associates. The driving goal was to provide a coherent and equitable Education program/experience at all Middle Schools within the City Lynn, which is currently not achievable with the current Pickering Middle School building. The design of the proposed new Pickering Middle School addressed the District’s Educational Priorities and provides appropriate classrooms sizes and adjacencies. The new building will also have increased energy efficiency and include better access to natural light.

Pickering MS Educational Program

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Presentation

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Presentation

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Presentation

Pickering MS Education Visioning Community Forum Recording

Pickering MS Education Visioning Community Forum Presentation

Size: 185,795  gross square feet

Design Enrollment: 1,100 students in grades 6 through 8

LEED Scorecard

• Provides Playgrounds for both Sisson and Pickering Students.
• Improved/increase in Parking available.

• Addresses/Meets District Educational Priorities
• Creates Parity among City’s Middle Schools.
• Appropriate Classroom Sizes and Adjacencies.
• Increased Energy Efficiency.
• Better access to natural light.

• Provides a new Community Playground for two age groups.
• Provides a new Basketball Court.
• Improves School Circulation for the three Schools on Site.
• Locates the School most advantageously within City to allow for redistributing
  the City’s Middle School population.

The Total Project Budget is $175,268,362, which includes budget contingencies and Project Soft Costs (e.g., furniture, equipment, professional fees). The precise MSBA contribution will not be known until the end of the project, but the maximum total facilities grant is $104,530,907. The balance of the project cost is the city’s responsibility.

In addition to the MSBA grant, the project is pursuing several other reimbursement opportunities to further reduce the cost to the city.

The Pickering Middle School is an aged brick masonry building, built in 1905 with an addition that was constructed in 1953. The 1905 main building contains classrooms on all floors including the basement and subbasement as well as an auditorium. The 1953 addition contains classrooms, science labs, workshops, administrative offices, gymnasium and cafeteria. The total square footage at Pickering is 99,500 including a gymnasium of 5,520 square feet, an auditorium of 3,350 square feet and a cafeteria of 3,680 square feet. There is no library in the school. Neither the 1905 nor the 1953 additions is handicapped accessible.

The first floor consists of administrative office space, gymnasium and approximately eighteen (18) classrooms. There are eighteen (18) classrooms on the second floor and twenty (20) classrooms in the basement. The basement also includes boiler rooms, a woodshop (currently not used for lack of an appropriately licensed industrial arts teacher), and unused and non-functioning locker rooms for the gymnasium on the first floor above.

The building has serious issues with the exterior shell due to deteriorated masonry, a failing roof, windows long beyond their lifespan, and numerous deficiencies with the door components of the exterior egress system. The building also has serious deficits in the mechanical and electrical systems. The buildings’ power and lighting are inadequate, and the clocks, bells and public address systems are antiquated and no longer functional. In addition, the power distribution within the school is inadequate to meet the needs of a 21st century school.

The building is heated with a steam heating system, there is no air conditioning and neither the main building nor the addition contains adequate controls over the heating system as the pneumatic control system has failed in various areas. The heating and ventilation systems were installed in 1953 with the addition of the Sisson School and requires update/replacement of its components and controls. The steam boilers have been replaced in the last ten years as well as associated pumps and steam return systems, however, the lack of adequate controls has resulted in inconsistent maintenance of temperature in the building.

Academic space at the Pickering Middle School is inadequate. Students receive instruction in the core academic subjects and are offered electives in art, music, reading, technology and physical education. There are enough classrooms to house the academic program at Pickering, but the classroom space is not adequate for the type of instruction now needed at the middle school level. There are virtually no fully operational science labs. Guidance counselors share space that does not allow for privacy. Occupational and physical therapists provide services in any unused classroom available on the date and time for their visits. There is no large meeting place for all students or for all students in a given cluster because the cafeteria is in use for four periods throughout the day.

The existing school is located in a residential area with the primary access located on a residential street. The school is attached to the Sisson Elementary School constructed in 1953 and shares a boiler plant with the Sisson School. Neither the Pickering or Sisson Schools are on the Historical Register nor is there any current consideration in preservation of the 1905 structure. Onsite parking is limited and is not adequate to service the current structures. The demolition and reuse of the site would be problematic due to its attachment to the Sisson Elementary School, limited site area and the lack of swing space to accommodate the current school during construction.

The following sites were reviewed by LeftField (Owner’s Project Manager), Raymond Design Associates (Project Architect), and the Pickering School Building Committee (SBC):

1.Gowdy Park

2.Former Union Hospital Site

3.Broadway

4.Rockdale Ave.

5.Pickering

6.Magnolia Ave. Park

For more detailed information on Site Selection, including site selection criteria and more information about each site considered, please view the presentation links below.

Pickering School Building Project Update – SBC Site Selection Presentation

At the December 21, 2022, School Building Committee (SBC) Meeting, SBC members unanimously to approve the selection of the Magnolia Park Site as the preferred site for the new Pickering Middle School. Below are links to the Site Selection Public Forum recording/presentations and the December 21, 2022, SBC Meeting recording/presentation.

12/19/22 Site Selection Public Forum Presentation

12/19/22 Site Selection Public Forum Recording

12/21/22 School Building Committee Meeting Presentation

12/21/22 School Building Committee Meeting Recording

PROJECT COST PRESENTED BELOW WAS CREATED TO DEMONSTRATE AN “ORDER OF MAGNITUDE” TO ASIST THE SBC’s DECISION MAKING. FINAL PROJECT PRICING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET FORMED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION WILL SERVE AS THE OFFICIAL TOTAL PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.

Option #5A – Code Upgrade

$ 71,384,011 – for informational purposes only – doesn’t meet educational program

Option #5B – Addition/Renovation

$ 203,825,858 – requires property takings & swing space – more disruptive & longer schedule

Option #6A – Magnolia Park

$ 195,675,500 – floodplain & soil issues = extensive, expensive foundations

Option #6B – Bridge to Sisson  

$ 199,982,833 – fewer floodplain & soil issues – more square footage, replace Sisson play area @ Magnolia Park

Option #7 – Sisson Grounds  

$ 170,071,331 – least floodplain impact – five-story scale at abutting properties

At the April 10, 2023, School Building Committee (SBC) Meeting, SBC members unanimously to approve the selection of Design Option #7: Sisson Grounds as the preferred option for the new Pickering Middle School. Below are links to the April 10, 2023, SBC Meeting recording/presentation.

04/10/23 Site Selection Public Forum/SBC Presentation

04/10/23 Site Selection Public Forum/SBC Recording

The proposed design was the culmination of many educational visioning sessions and resulting design options that were developed and presented by Raymond Design Associates. The defining goals was to provide a coherent and equitable Education program/experience at all Middle Schools within the City Lynn, which is currently not achievable with the current Pickering Middle School. The design of the proposed new Pickering Middle School addressed the District’s Educational Priorities, creates appropriate classrooms sizes and adjacencies. The new building will also have increased energy efficiency and create better access to natural light.

Pickering MS Educational Program

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #1 Presentation

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #2 Presentation

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Notes

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Recording

Pickering MS Visioning Workshop #3 Presentation

Pickering MS Education Visioning Community Forum Recording

Pickering MS Education Visioning Community Forum Presentation

The Lynn School Committee will determine how best to utilize the existing Pickering School.

Yes, flexibility has been built into the design to accommodate student growth and bubbles in student enrollment from year to year. The MSBA requires planning for a minimum of 15% growth.

Construction activities began in June 2024.

Construction Complete/New School Open – January 2028

Pickering MS Project Schedule Overview

Pickering MS Project Master Schedule

Pickering MS Construction Schedule

School Building Committee (“SBC”)

The Pickering Middle School Building Committee (“SBC”) is made up of the Pickering Middle School Advisory Committee which consists of City and School employees/officials and members of the Community for the purpose of generally monitoring the MSBA Application process and to advise the City of Lynn during the construction of the Project.

List of SBC Members

Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”)
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”) is a quasi-independent government authority created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth’s public schools. The MSBA strives to work with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy efficient schools across Massachusetts.

The MSBA’s grant program for school building construction and renovation projects is a non-entitlement competitive program. The MSBA’s Board of Directors approves grants based on need and urgency as expressed by the City, Town, Regional School District or independent agricultural and technical school and validated by the MSBA.

Massachusetts School Building Authoirty Website

LeftField- Owner’s Project Manager (OPM)
LeftField is an Owner’s Representative and Project Management firm, established in 2007. We specialize in owners project management services and have significant experience in the public sector, working with municipalities and building authorities. Leftfield’s staff has managed over $1.5 billion in MSBA-funded projects since MSBA’s inception in 2004. As Owners Project Managers, we work in conjunction with the Owner serving as an extension of their staff. Our primary role is to protect the Owner’s interests, to ensure that the Owner is well-served and that the established goals and objectives are met in the most efficient manner, physically and fiscally.

LeftField Website

Raymond Design Associeats – Project Architect

As a firm, RDA’s focus is on delivering value: Architecture that inspires a sense of community at an affordable price. Learning environments (like students) must be able to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. We design flexible, easy-to-maintain, energy-efficient schools that stand the test of time. At the same time, we know that cities and towns across the Commonwealth are grappling with the financial realities of aging infrastructure and omnipresent demands on their limited funding, and we understand full well that our job is to deliver maximum “Return on Investment” (ROI) for the projects we undertake.

The design of a school plays an important role in supporting students as they begin their journey as life-long learners. Our learning environments provide for differentiated instruction, curriculum innovation, and changes in pedagogy. Together with our district and stakeholder partners , we facilitate smart decisions about how your building is configured, identify appropriate program adjacencies, and recommend furnishings, technologies, and building systems that facilitate inspired learning

RDA Website

Consigli Construction – Construction Manager

In 1905 Peter Consigli, a skilled mason, established Peter Consigli & Sons in Milford, Massachusetts on the cornerstones of hard work, integrity and pride in craftsmanship. Over a century later, Consigli has grown from a local business into one of the largest employee-owned construction managers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

With more than 1,600 employees; ten regional offices dotting the east coast from Maine to DC; and upward of $2.3 billion in annual volume, Consigli has expanded its roots, while maintaining its core competencies as a true builder with more than 650 skilled carpenters, laborers and masons on staff.

Consigli Construction Website

The City of Lynn is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on the Pickering School Building project. The MSBA is a quasi-independent government agency that funds capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ public schools. The MSBA “work[s] with local communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools across Massachusetts.” It has a dedicated revenue stream of one penny of the Commonwealth’s 6.25 percent sales tax. Since 2004, the MSBA has made more than $15.6B in reimbursement payments to school districts for school construction projects.

https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/about

The MSBA has developed eight distinct modules that are intended to provide a guide to the procedures and approvals needed for the MSBA and the District to work together in a collaborative manner.

MSBA Process

The “Program Overview” and listing of eight modules can be viewed here:
https://www.massschoolbuildings.org/building/modules_overview

The Pickering SBC is committed to an inclusive, transparent process. Throughout the process there have been numerous opportunities for public input and community engagement, including stakeholder surveys and public meetings. The project website houses information such as relevant news articles, meeting agendas, minutes and video recordings of Pickering SBC meetings. The project website is updated regularly as new information becomes available. Pickering SBC meetings are also held regularly and are open to the public. Please direct any further questions to the Project Email: (PickeringMSproject@leftfieldpm.com).