Medford High School Project Moves To Contractor Review Stage

MEDFORD, MA — The Medford High School building project will move further into its contractor selection process Tuesday when a subcommittee begins reviewing and scoring firms interested in managing construction.

The Construction Manager at Risk Pre-Qualification Subcommittee will meet at 3 p.m. in the Medford High School library, according to the school district’s meeting notice.

Members will evaluate statements of qualifications submitted by firms seeking to advance in the selection process. Tuesday’s review is a pre-qualification step and will not result in the immediate award of a construction contract. Additional meetings are scheduled for Aug. 24, Sept. 8 and Sept. 22 before interviews with advancing firms tentatively planned for Sept. 29 and 30.

A final ranking will follow on a date that has not been announced. Project officials expect the selected construction manager to join the team in October.

The firm will help manage a renovation and addition currently estimated to cost $813 million. Medford’s preliminary share is estimated at $591 million, although both figures remain subject to change as the plans are developed.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority will determine its financial contribution after schematic design is completed and a final scope and budget are established. Medford voters are then expected to consider the city’s share through a debt exclusion in spring 2027, according to the official project schedule.

Jenny Graham, chair of the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee, previously called it the “most ambitious project our city has ever attempted” and said delays would allow costs to continue rising.

The existing high school opened in 1970 and contains approximately 330,000 square feet, according to MSBA records. The project is being planned around an enrollment of 1,395 students.

An assessment found that much of the building remains original to its opening. Investigators identified water damage, accessibility barriers, unreliable ventilation and air quality, and a lack of thermal insulation in parts of the original construction.

The school’s Wi-Fi system also has capacity problems, while its electrical systems have exceeded their typical life expectancy. Original plans did not account for current earthquake, snowdrift and wind-resistance standards, according to building committee minutes.

The building committee selected design option C2.2A on June 10 after reviewing 29 preliminary concepts and narrowing the field to six finalists.

The chosen plan calls for renovating and adding to the school on its existing footprint. It would preserve and update the pool, gymnasium and other indoor athletic facilities without requiring temporary modular classrooms.

Officials also said the design would increase natural light and improve sight lines for student supervision. Police and fire leaders supported the layout, which carried the lowest estimated cost among the renovation-and-addition finalists, according to Medford Public Schools.

The city submitted its Preferred Schematic Report to the MSBA on June 25. State approval would allow the concept to move into schematic design, where the layout, scope, budget and timeline will be developed in greater detail.

Local officials projected that approval could come in August. The MSBA has listed Medford among several districts expected to appear before its board during either August or October, but an exact date has not been confirmed.

The preliminary schedule calls for site preparation to begin in summer 2027, followed by major construction in summer 2028. Three phases are expected to continue through spring 2033, with remaining site work completed in 2034.

Students are expected to remain on campus during construction, requiring secure work areas, continued emergency access, and measures to prevent interruptions to school programs.

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