Cheltenham SD facilities committee hears construction, timeline and budget updates as stadium nears completion

Chair Charles Williams opened the June facilities committee meeting and asked for a motion to approve the minutes before staff delivered construction updates across district sites.

A presenter for the district told the committee the high school athletic stadium is nearing finish work: the concession-stand metal roof is due to be completed this week, men’s and women’s restroom fixtures, doors and locks are installed, and the ADA ramp, rail and lighting are in place. "They will probably try and install the track portion of it around June 8th or 9th," the presenter said, but added the district is awaiting a fire marshal inspection of the fire-alarm system scheduled for June 8.

The presenter also said crews had planted about 20 trees around the stadium and in the parking lot, installed stainless-steel countertops in the concession stand, and were finishing pavement and fencing work; the 4-foot fencing near the visitor section remained in progress.

Committee members praised the tree plantings during questions and answers and sought clarification on timelines for other projects. The presenter said Glenside Elementary (referred to in the transcript as Glennside/Glenside) is expected to be finished by the end of the year, while Cedarbrook (spelled in the transcript as Cedar Brook/Cedarbrook) will continue into 2027.

At the administrative building on Ashborne Road, the presenter and a Pico representative said contractor Pico has installed a new, externally sited transformer to replace an older indoor unit, allowing easier access for maintenance. "Pico has been doing a lot of repair work ... they put the new transformer right there on Ash Road which they can access at any given time," the Pico representative said. The presenter added that Pico does not perform the final hookup and that the district must hire another contractor to run the lines from the new transformer into the building; that connection work will incur additional district cost.

On project finances, a staff member summarized current expenditures: "the high school stadium we're up to $10.2 million paid to date out of the bid amount of 13.4" (reported in the transcript as $13.4, understood to be million); Glenside has about $750,000 in total spending to date, and Cedarbrook construction costs have exceeded $2 million. The staff member said additional payouts scheduled for the month will push the stadium spending closer to the bid amount.

The committee discussed sequencing and construction phases—footers and concrete slabs have been poured at several sites so framing and additional work can proceed, and waterproofing and drainage work are under way to reduce future water infiltration.

A motion to approve committee minutes was made and seconded at the start of the meeting; the transcript records the motion and a call for those in favor, but does not include a full roll-call tally in the provided text.

Next steps identified in the discussion include the fire marshal inspection and the contractor hire needed to connect the new transformer; Cedarbrook remains on a multi-year timeline with completion anticipated in 2027, and district staff will continue to report monthly on expenditures and project milestones at future facilities committee meetings.