Left Field reports progress on Manchester Priority 1 school projects; GMP resubmission, permits and modular deliveries next steps

The Manchester Joint School Buildings Committee on July 8 received a progress report from Left Field and project partners on the district’s Priority 1 school construction work, including a planned Guaranteed Maximum Price resubmission by Consigli, full building permits for McLaughlin and Hillside, and the upcoming arrival and installation of modular classroom units.

The update, delivered by David Sanden, project executive with Left Field, covered ongoing preconstruction and construction activities across six projects the district has grouped as Priority 1. “We will have the resubmission of the GMP from Consigli for the group 1 projects,” Sanden said, adding that subcontractor procurement, site excavation and soil removal, and finalization of scopes for HVAC, fire protection, demolition and abatement are under way.

Sanden and the project team said McLaughlin and Hillside have received full building permits and that programming and design development are in late stages for Southside and Parkside. He said modular classroom units (referred to in the presentation as modules) are expected to be complete by next month and that ERVs (energy‑recovery ventilators) have arrived and are being installed.

When the committee asked about the stormwater plan, Sanden explained that the SWPPP (stormwater pollution prevention plan) governs how a contractor controls surface hydrology while regrading or modifying an existing drainage system during construction. “It is their responsibility to control the surface hydrology before the new system is installed,” he said.

Sanden also addressed scheduling and public outreach. He said Beach Street Elementary programming is wrapping up, with schematic development estimates completed and reconciliation under way. Beach is slated to mobilize early in 2026 and, according to the presentation, new building construction is projected into June–July 2028, with site work and landscaping to follow. For Hillside, Southside and Parkside, the team listed additions completing in December 2026 and renovation work extending beyond that date; committee members pressed the project team for detail after members reported a mid‑year occupancy risk for Hillside.

Committee members asked for a closer update on Hillside’s schedule in a month. Sanden said the project team is working with Consigli to recover time where possible and that the team will provide a more detailed update at the committee’s next meeting.

Committee members also questioned why invoices and a detailed invoice summary were not in the packet; Left Field said invoice approvals were scheduled for the following day, and finalized materials would be posted to the city website and distributed through the clerk once available. The project team offered to schedule a deeper budget briefing by Zoom if committee members or the public wanted further detail.

Next steps identified by the team included the GMP resubmission by Consigli, continued subcontractor awards for roofing and MEP work, finalization and execution of contracts where procurement is complete, continued site work and weekly look‑ahead schedules posted for McLaughlin and Hillside.