Groundbreaking marks 'a new beginning' for Braintree's South Middle School

STUDENTS HELP CELEBRATE THE GROUND BREAKING FOR THE NEW SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9, 2022. GREG DERR/THE PATRIOT LEDGER

Fred Hanson The Patriot Ledger

BRAINTREE – In an open field behind South Middle School, residents are making a major investment in the town's future.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for a new South Middle School, where town and state officials, as well as some grade 6 students at South, dug into a pile of sand with shovels to symbolize the start of the $66.7 million project. It is the first all-new school to be built in the town since Braintree High School opened a half-century ago…

Full article at The Patriot Ledger

Abandoned for a decade: Windmill Street Elementary to get a $30.5-million renovation

City Councilman Nicholas Narducci speaks outside the abandoned Windmill Street Elementary School. Amy Russo

PROVIDENCE — Abandoned for a decade, Providence's Windmill Street Elementary School is undergoing a $30.5-million renovation to make it operable once again.

On Friday, City Councilman Nicholas Narducci announced the start of the project, which was allocated funding by the council's Finance Committee last year during the tenure of former Council President Sabina Matos.

The city has since established a contract with Bacon Construction Co. for construction and demolition work, as well as asbestos removal, window replacement, playground equipment and other items. The project is slated for completion in fall 2023…

Full Article at The Providence Journal

Bacon Construction lands RI school rehab contract with $22.8M bid

By Mary Serreze – Reporter, Providence Business Journal
Oct 12, 2021, 3:26pm EDT

An East Providence construction firm has won a competitive bid to renovate a vacant public school building in Providence. 

Bacon Construction Co. Inc. was selected Tuesday by the Providence Board of Contract and Supply to provide design-build services at the Windmill Street School. The board adopted a recommendation from Demo Roberts, director of the Department of Public Property, to chose Bacon, the highest of four bidders at nearly $22.8 million…

…"After an extensive analysis of all the bidders' proposals and interviews, it was determined that Bacon Construction-Eastman/Perkins Architects was the most comprehensive bid submitted and presented to the city," wrote Roberts in a Sept. 24 memorandum…

Full article at Providence Business Journal

George H Mitchell Elementary School Topping Ceremony Video

Video by BTV

New Wareham Elementary School to open in October

The exterior of the school, photographed in May 2021. Photo courtesy: Wareham Public Schools

The new Wareham Elementary School, currently in progress on Minot Avenue, will welcome students on October 12 — months ahead of schedule.

Full article at Wareham Week

Seekonk’s Aitken Elementary School Renovation Near Completion

By Joe Siegel

Work on the $10.5 million addition for the Aitken Elementary School is set to be completed soon. There will be 10 new classrooms to accommodate a growing school population. Modular units were used for Aitken and Martin schools to help deal with the overcrowding. $1.5 million was spent to install air conditioning throughout the school. There is also a new boiler and ventilation system. Voters approved a temporary tax increase in June 2019 to pay for the construction.

Read full article at Reporter Today.

Westport's $97 million middle-high school on schedule to open in 2021

by KELLY O'NEILL, NBC 10 NEWS

Wednesday, November 11th 2020

… the town of Westport is also replacing an aging school by combining its middle and high school.

"We're making tremendous progress. Most of the outside is buttoned up and a lot of work inside is taking place," said Interim Superintendent Thomas Aubin.

When completed by the fall of 2021, the $97 million middle-high school will be ready to welcome grades 5-12. The combined school will be saving the town money overall…

"The technology in this school is significantly greater than what we can offer at the current school," Aubin said.

The new school will have an emphasis on STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The ground floor will include a maker space, fabrication labs, and child care vocational spaces.

Outdoors there will be new athletic fields for soccer, field hockey, baseball, and softball, in addition to a walking track, tennis courts, and 300 parking spots.

As for the old high school, the town of Westport has created a committee to help find the best solution and has yet to decide.

Construction of the project remains on time and under budget, with no impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, Aubin said.

Full article and a video at 10 WJAR

Wareham’s new elementary school contractor comes in $11 million under bid

The new Wareham Elementary School project was awarded to Providence-based Bacon Construction Monday night by the Minot Forest School Building Committee, a company that came in $11 million under the $90 million budget for the pre-K through fourth grade school.

By Mary McKenzie / mmckenzie@wickedlocal.com

Posted Mar 3, 2020 at 8:49 AMUpdated Mar 3, 2020 at 8:52 AM

WAREHAM - The new Wareham Elementary School project was awarded to Providence-based Bacon Construction Monday night by the Minot Forest School Building Committee, a company that came in $11 million under the $90 million budget for the pre-K through fourth grade school.

“Let’s keep it in mind that this is more than the entire budget of the town of Wareham, so this is a big deal,” said Geoff Swett, chair.

The committee voted unanimously to OK the contract going to Bacon Construction.

Read more at the Wicked Local

URI Brookside Residence Hall

Bacon Construction completed URI’s newest apartment-style housing Brookside Residence Hall completed in January 2020.

URI opens new $94M, 122-unit residence hall on campus

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND officials opened Monday the new $94 million Brookside Hall, which will house 122 student apartments, on campus. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

By James Bessette - February 10, 2020 11:01 am

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – University of Rhode Island officials cut the ribbon on a brand new residence hall on campus Monday.

Construction on the $94 million Brookside Hall, located at 40 West Alumni Ave., has officially completed and the structure is the first new residence hall built on the university’s campus since Hillside Hall opened in October 2012, according to a media release. The project was financed via a combination of revenues from the department of housing and residential life and university general revenues.

The 203,000-square-foot hall houses 122 fully furnished apartments – most of them are four- and six-bedroom units – with each apartment having a full kitchen, dishwashers and cable television, among other amenities. There are also 12 apartments that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the release states.

Read more at the Providence Business News

Taunton breaks ground on long-awaited new Mulcahey school

Elementary students took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new James L. Mulcahey Elementary School by holding signs and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Taunton Gazette photo by Charles Winokoor

TAUNTON – A little more than a year from now a new James L. Mulcahey Elementary School will be standing tall and proud on Clifford Street.

In anticipation of that momentous occasion a groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday morning on the site of the $65 million project.

The new L-shaped, combination three and single-story building is being built next to the existing school, which opened in 1954.

The new Mulcahey school will also replace the circa-1915 Hopewell Elementary School on Monroe Street in the city’s Whittenton neighborhood.

A total of 735 students from both locations will attend the new school.

“It will replace two great schools, each with their own storied history,” said Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr., as he addressed a crowd of local and state officials, city employees, construction company representatives and school officials.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority is covering $40.5 million of the project’s cost, with the city paying the balance of $24.5 million.

Read more at the Taunton Gazette

Millis school project on time, under budget

CONSTRUCTION, AS OF MID-AUGUST, UNDERWAY AT MILLIS' NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.  THE OLD SCHOOL, WHERE STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING THIS YEAR, IS IN THE BACKGROUND. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE]

MILLIS – Students and staff heading back to class at Clyde Brown Elementary School Wednesday will see that construction on the site’s new school did not take a summer break.

“The site work is done, the foundations are all done,” Elementary School Building Committee Vice Chairwoman Diane Jurmain said. “We are working toward closing up the building, so we can work in the winter, making it weather-tight.”

Town Meeting approved the $51.76 million new elementary school in November 2017, to replace the aging Brown Elementary. Students will attend classes in the old building this year, which is on the same property as the new building, then move into the finished product next fall.

“The kids will be in there a year from now, just about,” Jurmain said.

Structural walls are all up, she said, and contractors poured the concrete for the new school’s gymnasium floor last week. Roof work is underway, and exterior masonry work should start this week.

The construction is a Massachusetts School Building Authority-approved project, which means Millis will see about $20.95 million in state funding to get it done.

So far, Jurmain said, the project is on time and under budget.

“We aren’t always able to say these things,” Jurmain said. “It’s a collaborative effort, and we have a really good team working on this. ... If we can end up under budget, we’ll be thrilled.”

The actual building could be complete as soon as July, Jurmain said, then road and sidewalk work will begin, and the old school will be demolished. An official opening is scheduled for the Monday after Labor Day 2019.

This school year, Jurmain said, contractors expect to make the building weather-tight for the winter by November. The walls, roof, and exterior masonry should be finished, and the majority of the remaining work will be inside.

That’s less distracting for students, Jurmain said.

“When we first started the school work, the kids were probably paying attention (to the big construction equipment),” she said. “Once the building’s closed up, there won’t be so much to see.”

The construction site is completely separate and fenced off from the current school site, however, she said, and deliveries and certain types of work have been scheduled outside of school hours or around events. That lessens the impact on students and staff in class.

For residents, the biggest change will be a new traffic pattern this school year.

There’s a new traffic light and left turn lane on Rte. 109, and the two roads flanking the old school – Park Road and Park Street – have changed purpose slightly.

Park Road is now two-way, and the only way to head west on Rte. 109 when leaving the school. Cars leaving via Park Street will only be able to take a right and go east.

School begins district-wide Wednesday. To see a graphic of the traffic changes and keep up-to-date on the project, head to the Millis School Project Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/millisschoolproject.

See original article at Milforddailynews.com

New Atlantis Charter School just about ready for students

By Brian Fraga / The Herald News
Posted Jan 12, 2018 at 3:01 AM

FALL RIVER — The lights are on at the future home of Atlantis Charter School. The hot water was just turned on the other day.

“No leaks. That’s a good sign,” Mike Lauro, the associate executive director of the Atlantis Charter School, joked as he walked through the school’s new building near the South Watuppa Pond on Tuesday.

The 98,000-square-foot building — designed to accommodate 1,400 students from kindergarten through the 12th grade — is tentatively scheduled to open for classes when students return from their winter vacation on Feb. 26. For the next month and a half, construction and electrical workers will be putting the finishing touches on the building, which features three wings open-concept classrooms, cafeterias, common spaces and a gymnasium.

Administrators and teachers will also be working on the logistics of moving equipment, office furniture and other materials from Atlantis’ three current sites in Fall River to its new facility on Jefferson Street.

“There’s a lot of hard work to be done on the logistics,” said Robert Beatty, the executive director of the Atlantis Charter School.

On Tuesday, Beatty toured the new building with other Atlantis officials. He showed the separate wings that will house the lower school — Grades K-6 — and the upper floors reserved for upper grades. Beatty walked down wide hallways designed with large windows to illuminate those spaces with natural light. He poked his head into a science classroom and pointed out the projector above the white board, which every room will have.

“Like the rest of the building, this represents a big upgrade for students at Atlantis, in terms of wide hallways and classrooms that are close together to be able to facilitate teamwork,” Beatty said. “Our kids and our staff do a fantastic job in the spaces that they have now, so we’re excited to give them a better resource to be able to do even more than what they’ve done so far.”

After more than 20 years in operation as one of Massachusetts’ oldest charter schools, the founders’ vision of a K-12 school with a connection to the waterfront has finally just about come to fruition.

The school’s 40-acre site will provide opportunities for rowing and sailing. Also, officials are planning to build an athletic stadium to support multiple varsity, club, elementary and middle-school sports across the local community.

“Educational attainment is the primary driver in the economic growth of any community, and we applaud Atlantis Charter School for their commitment to expanding their campus and the new and innovative programs that will make a meaningful impact,” Nicholas Christ, president and CEO of BayCoast Bank, said in a prepared statement.

On Tuesday, Atlantis Charter School also announced that it has received an $80,000 gift from BayCoast Bank to support its newly-launched capital fundraising campaign. Atlantis is looking to raise $2.5 million to help fund the construction of the $35 million state-of-the-art campus. Construction began in the Fall of 2016.

“The project is ahead of schedule and under-budget. You can’t ask for much more. We’re excited,” said Patrick Long, of Partners Insurance Group and BayCoast Bank who is also an Atlantis Charter School board member.

Beatty and Lauro said they wanted the project to be as cost-effective as possible and looked for savings wherever they could. Beatty added that the capital campaign will help Atlantis provide students with an optimized learning environment and invest more money directly into academic programs.

“Overall, this is a huge upgrade for all our kids,” Beatty said.

See original article at Southcoasttoday.com

Agostini/Bacon Completes New School

Interior of new J. Henry Higgins Middle School

Peabody, MA – Agostini/Bacon Construction Joint Venture recently completed the new J. Henry Higgins Middle School, a $70 million, 226,000sf state-of-the-art building consisting of a new 500-seat auditorium, a 500-seat cafeteria, gymnasium, classrooms, and administrative spaces. 

The project was designed by Dinisco Design Partnership of Boston. 

The new school was built adjacent to the old middle school that was subsequently abated and demolished. New playing fields with additional site improvements are currently being constructed where the previous middle school was located.

The project exceeds the new standards under the commonwealth of Massachusetts sustainable building codes and will achieve LEED Silver certification.

Read More at High-Profile

Bacon Completes URI Science Center

URI Chemistry Lab

Providence, RI – Bacon Construction of Rumford recently completed the new $69 million Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.

The Beaupre Center houses URI’s chemistry department, along with a federal Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response, one of the county’s most important research and training resources in the war against terrorism.

Replacing Pastore Hall, which was built in 1953 and accommodated 800 students, the new center triples the amount of space for teaching labs, serving more than 7,000 chemistry students yearly — roughly 1,400 per day — and also greatly expands the space for research laboratories, providing facilities for faculty members researching technologies and applications to benefit the nation at large, including developing advanced batteries for energy-efficient cars, improving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan machines, and creating new early disease detection methods.

Among the features of the four-story, 135,000sf center, designed by Wilson Architects Inc. of Boston, with management by Keogh Construction Management of Rumford:

• Fourteen 14 teaching labs and 18 faculty research labs, with a total of 172 fume hoods.
• The 240-seat Victor J. Baxt Lecture Hall and another, smaller, lecture hall.
• The Teknor Apex Instrumentation Lab.

URI chemistry exterior

The building exterior features a number of façade materials including gray face brick, manufactured stone, phenolic resin, composite metal panels, and a significant amount of glass curtainwall and punched window opening, allowing for natural lighting and views of the surrounding campus. The interior consists of Nora rubber flooring in all corridors and labs, while carpeting and porcelain tile were used throughout the common areas. The surrounding site was upgraded with new underground drainage, parking lots, lighting, concrete walks, and a large new seating plaza off of the second floor egress.

The building has achieved LEED Silver and is expected to use 50% less energy than comparable existing buildings, resulting in a 20% savings over and above the minimum Rhode Island Energy Code.

Read More at High-Profile

Scituate Middle School in High Profile Oct. 2016 Edition

Scituate Middle School

Scituate, MA – Bacon Agostini Construction Joint Venture of East Providence, R.I., recently won the bid for the Scituate Middle School project. As the general contractor, Bacon Agostini joins owner’s project manager, Daedalus Projects Inc., and Architect, Dore & Whittier Architects, Inc. to manage the completion of this middle school in time for the start of the 2017-2018 school year.

Read more at High Profile

Donation to Bryant campus ministry provides students with new opportunities to share in the faith

NEW MINISTRY: George and Mary Agostini, parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish, Seekonk, pose with student and staff participants of a recent alternative spring break trip.         

By Lauren Clem, Staff Reporter

SMITHFIELD — Students at a recent Sunday evening Mass celebrated in Bryant University’s Interfaith Center chapel were eager to share stories about spring break. However, unlike most of their peers, the group of 15 students had spent their spring break not on the beach, but in Washington D.C., where they participated in community service with a number of nonprofit ministries. The students were part of an alternative spring break trip, one of several new opportunities made possible by a recent donation to Catholic and Christian ministry at the university.

“I wanted to do more community service, and not just for a resume,” said sophomore Catherine Bennetti, who spoke about her experiences on the trip at a reception following the Mass. “It made me really appreciate the work that I was doing. It made me feel very small, and that was a good thing.”

Bennetti and other students were able to participate in the trip due to a generous donation to campus ministry by George and Mary Agostini, parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish, Seekonk. Among other initiatives, the donation will fund the hiring of a part-time Catholic campus minister to coordinate religious programs and community service, including future alternative spring break trips.

Read more at thericatholic.com

Our feature in Construction-Today on the Plymouth South High School Project

Built by Agostini and Bacon Construction, the new high school in Plymouth, Mass., is a huge undertaking for these seasoned firms.

By Angela Forsyth

Coming soon to Plymouth, Mass., is a newly constructed $90.3 million school – a big budget for a big, 248,000-square-foot high school. Although the size and cost are monumental, the job isn’t too big for Agostini Construction and Bacon Construction, two companies run by one family. Plymouth South High School is a Bacon Agostini Construction joint venture that broke ground in July 2015 and will be completed by May 2017.

Read more at Construction-today.com

The Walls are Coming Down

Check out this great write up about our on-going construction of the new Beverly Middle School in The Salem News!

Construction Today Highlights the URI Center for Chemistry and Forensic Science

When it opens its doors in 2016, the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Chemistry and Forensic Sciences will provide more than just classroom and lab space for a large segment of the university’s student population.

The $68 million center will provide state-of-the-art facilities for faculty members researching technologies and applications to benefit the nation at large, including developing advanced batteries for energy-efficient cars, improving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan machines and creating new early disease detection methods. The center will also house one of the county’s most important research and training resources in the war against terrorism, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response. 

Read the article at construction-today.com