2017-10-16-CEC-STM2-STM3-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO OCTOBER 16,2017, STMs 2017-2&-3 (Town Warrant, 18 Sep 2017) Analysis A primary driver for replacing the 62-year old Maria Hastings building is its poor structural condition. Operating the building safely in the future will require an estimated$30M of renovations due to the need to replace the building systems, the modular-construction classrooms which are well beyond their useful life, and make structural repairs. There would also be a need for "swing" space, which the Town does not currently have, during such extensive renovations. Even with renovations, the resulting school's expected useful life will be approximately 20 years, far short of the useful life of a new building, and the resulting building would not fully meet the needs of the Lexington educational program. For less than twice the cost, a new Hastings will provide nine additional classrooms, a 50-year building, and larger, modern, classroom spaces. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has agreed with the assessment that the building should be replaced and expects to provide substantial financial support (as shown in the following table), thus making this project particularly cost effective. A second driver is the critical need for additional elementary school capacity as discussed above. The additional nine classrooms will increase capacity by approximately 194 students. In addition, the building will meet LEED Silver certification energy efficiency and sustainability requirements, and is expected to be nearly 50% more efficient than the expected-to-be-adopted Lexington Stretch Goals for energy efficiency. The building is being designed to be solar-ready, and if in the future the solar-energy elements are added, then the building will approach a net-zero energy consumption. Hasting Replacement Total project cost $65,279,418 Expected MSBA funding -$16,513,723 Expected excluded debt $48,765,695 Previous appropriations STM February 2016 -$1,500,000 Annual TM April 2017 -$720,000 Conclusion Given the extreme need to address structural failures in the existing building, and the extreme need to build additional capacity, along with the significant amount of funding provided by MSBA, this Committee feels that building the new Maria Hastings Elementary School should go forward. It is in the Town's best interest to fund this project with excluded debt. Article 3:APPROPRIATE Fund DESIGN FUNDS FOR Authorization Funding Source Committee Recommends LEXINGTON Requested CHILDREN'S $2,500,000 GF (Debt) Approval (7-0) PLACE/20 PELHAM (Expected to be ROAD included in a subsequent Debt- Exclusion Referendum) "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for design, engineering and architectural services, including the production of construction documents, and for construction costs, including demolition of the existing building and site work for the Lexington Children's Place to be located at 4