By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
By Nov. 15, a project more than a year in the making will be completed.
At the Nov. 1 School Committee meeting, Director of Facilities Chris George said that replacement of the Community School roof—a project costing more than $1 million—was 95 percent complete. The main body of the roof is done and stairwell, mechanicals, and parapet repairs have been finished. Site cleanup began that week.
The project has seen a few hurdles along the way. First proposed last February and expected to be done that summer, it was learned that roofers already have work scheduled by March. Moving ahead on such short notice would have raised costs and the project was put on hold.
The plan was revised to begin during the summer break of 2021, but a material shortage brought on by the COVID pandemic meant that some work would be done in the fall.
The original completion date of Oct. 29 had to be pushed back to Nov. 15 due to an unexpected delay in getting metal flashing materials. These are used to divert precipitation away from potential weak points in the roof seal. Flashing can be made from materials such as aluminum, lead, or stainless steel.
George added that the project has come in slightly under budget, with some materials being cheaper than expected and plywood for some repairs not being used.
“We’re in good shape for Nov. 15 to get them (the crews) out of here,” he said. “By next week we should see everything being dismantled and taken down.”
