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

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/.

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 for the upcoming school year.

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.

There will be no staggered start times for students.

Staggered start times had the potential to negatively affect construction. This was one of the factors/considerations for NOT staggering the start times for the upcoming school year.

To help mitigate construction noise, the project includes a 6-ft high temporary construction fence with a sound barrier screen around the perimeter of the construction site. To help mitigate construction dust, the project will employ air quality measures such as the application of water or calcium chloride to the site.

No. The construction site will include Magnolia Park. A temporary construction fence will be installed around the perimeter of the construction site and pedestrians will not be 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.

That determination will be made by the incoming Sisson principal in consultation with the teachers. The spaces in Pickering that will be occupied by Sisson students are clustered together on the first floor at the end of the building closest to Sisson. The rooms are separated from the middle school areas by cross-corridor doors and the area includes an office that may be assigned to a Sisson administrator to provide oversight.

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 can remain on Conomo Avenue.

Yes, LCTV has posted a recording of the presentation with high quality audio:

https://lynntv.org/watch-online/video/public-forum-pickering-school-building-project-april-23-2024/

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

Lynn Public Schools is currently looking into this question, however changes to the drop-off and pick-up times require careful review and coordination with staff, families, the School Committee, bus schedules, and other considerations. Any determination will take time to proceed through the review process.

Yes, the proposed play area is approximately the same size as the existing 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 existing basketball court and playground will be replaced with a new basketball court and playground and both will be open to the public.

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 existing 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 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. In addition, the Pickering School Building Committee meetings are held monthly and are open to the public. The project team will host occasional public meetings to provide status updates and answer questions. Also, the public is welcome to contact the Mayor’s office, school administrators, and project team to ask questions and voice concerns.

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

Yes, the design team will coordinate with school administrators to review the play area design and solicit feedback.

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

The project team considered many locations on the property for the new Pickering Middle School and determined the current design, which includes demolition of the existing modular classrooms, to be the best overall option despite the temporary disruption it will create.

All construction includes some loud activities that cannot be avoided. However, there are several accommodations that will help to minimize disruption.

First, construction activities will generally occur during the day and will not occur overnight or in the early morning.

Additionally, noise mitigation panels will be installed on the temporary fence between the construction site and abutting residences.

Lastly, some of the noisiest site preparation activities will occur during summer 2024 when the school is not in session.

Project Renderings from the 100% Construction Documents Phase of design are posted below. (Please check back periodically as the Design progresses)

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 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

Size: 185,795 SQ FT

Design Enrollment: 1,100 students

• Maintains Magnolia Park Amenities
• 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.

• 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

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 Hosptial 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, expensivw 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 what the existing school will be utilized as.

The Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) Submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) included an estimated Total Construction Budget of $135,836,161 and an estimated Total Project Budget of $170,308,289, which includes budget contingencies and Project Soft Costs. The Total Project Budget will be established at the end of the Schematic Design Phase of Design, which is currently scheduled to end October 26, 2023, with MSBA Board of Director’s Approval on December 13, 2023. The current estimated City Share is approx. $ 85 Million and the current estimated share is $ 85 Million.

The MSBA will reimburse the City of Lynn for eligible project costs during construction. The reimbursement rates are dependent upon various socioeconomic factors, as well as limitations related to square footage, with a minimum base rate of 31 percent up to a maximum of 80 percent. Several factors can increase the MSBA’s reimbursement rate, including a community income factor, community property factor and community poverty factor.

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

It is anticipated that construction will begin in Summer/Fall 2024 pending project approval.

Start – Summer 2024

Building Finish – December 2026

Pickering MS Project Master Schedule

Pickering MS Project Schedule Overview

We agree and in order to secure partial State funding, we are tasked with providing a school that will endure for a minimum of 50 years, from an educational and durability perspective.

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 Consigli Construction – Construction Manager

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. As the project progresses, there will be considerable opportunities for public input and community engagement, including stakeholder surveys and public meetings. The project website has information to stay informed, such as relevant news articles, meeting agendas, minutes and video recordings of Pickering SBC meetings. The project website will be updated regularly as new information is available. Pickering SBC meetings are also posted regularly and open to the public. Please direct any further questions to the Project Email: (PickeringMSproject@leftfieldpm.com).