Home

Project Role: Construction Management
Project Details: Additions and Renovations to School Buildings District-wide
Project Value: ~$125 Million
Project Reference: Mr. Wayne Bleau, Assistant Superintendent for Mgmt, NSCSD (315) 218-2119

Project Program:

Ross Wilson & Associates was selected to provide construction management services for the District's Capital projects. Ross Wilson & Associates has been working with North Syracuse Schools since 1996. Ross Wilson & Associates has provided estimates, schedules, value engineering and cash flow analysis. During the pre-referendum phases and managed the preconstruction and construction phases, providing estimates, schedules, phasing, logistical planning, constructability reviews and value engineering during design; and supervision, scheduling, cost control, monitoring and reporting during construction. Ross Wilson also coordinated and implemented energy conservation program resulting in numerous grants from NYSERDA and FAA.

 

North Syracuse Capital Improvement Program Cost Summary Results

Building	District	Budget	Final Cost
Lakeshore Elementary	North Syracuse	$676,000	$646,646
Cicero Elementary	North Syracuse	$3,891,500	$3,970,389
Junior High School	North Syracuse	$13,422,050	$13,005,635
Cicero El & JRH above were part of a single referendum with a 2nd referendum to replace windows in each building
Proposition #1	North Syracuse	$13,564,100	$13,357,704
Proposition #2	North Syracuse	$3,749,450	$3,618,320
Proposition #3 was Lakeshore Elementary above
When the district realized the savings against the budget they added to the scope especially at Cicero Elementary and Lakeshore
High School / Allen Road Elementary Referendum incl. FAA funded work
Totals	North Syracuse	$23,103,275	$23,103,200
High School	North Syracuse	$19,886,808	$19,840,627
Allen Road Elementary	North Syracuse	$3,216,467	$3,262,573
Again the District's bids were well under budget and they invested more money in the project in the form of scope changes. They put more money into Allen Road Elementary by upgraded some spaces.
Gillette Middle / Roxboro Road Elementary / Junior High Referendum
Totals	North Syracuse	$30,277,212	$29,591,047
Gillette Middle	North Syracuse	$17,899,970	$16,834,967
Roxboro Road Elementary	North Syracuse	$9,188,372	$9,046,326
Junior High School	North Syracuse	$3,188,870	$3,109,754
Roxboro Road Middle School incl. FAA funded work
	North Syracuse
Roxboro Road Middle Ref.	North Syracuse	$13,900,000	13,855,000
Roxboro Road Middle FAA	North Syracuse	$7,226,982	7,220,000

Cicero-North Syracuse High School - $19.886 Million

The program included: six classroom additions, addition of a new technology wing, Media Center expansion, multi-purpose gym addition, new cafeteria addition, new entrance additions, interior space reclamation, complete renovation of locker room areas, complete replacement of fire alarm, clock and communication systems, improvement of ventilation system, complete classroom renovations, parking and bus drop off expansion and improvements, and new sports fields with drainage.

Challenges: This project relocated 3 existing cafeterias into an addition with new serving lines. We also constructed a Media Center addition, expanded the size of the Media Center and added a 3 story classroom addition. One of the difficult aspects of this project was the fact that the Cafeteria addition was to be located on top of the Technology wing. The other additions were located on different sides of the building, which created construction activities to occur simultaneously on all sides of the building. We phased the construction of the Additions so we could redirect vehicular and pedestrian traffic around construction areas safely and efficiently. This also affected the renovations of the interior spaces as well which had to be phased to coincide with the additions.

Gillette Road Middle School - $17.9 Million

The program included: 16 classroom addition; Media Center addition, complete replacement of windows; complete reconfiguration and renovation of Office and existing Media Center areas; expansion and reconfiguration of kitchen and serving areas; parking expansion and bus loop reconfigurations.

Challenges: The unique part of this project was the classroom / media center / gym addition that attached to the existing building at 2 locations creating a courtyard. A pond was designed inside the new courtyard and the 2 story window wall had to be replaced. The window wall material fabrication and delivery had to be closely scheduled and coordinated with the addition and pond construction because once the addition was constructed it would make the remaining work much more difficult and expensive. We also had to plan and prepare for the mechanical systems replacement since this project spans a 2 year period we had to keep the systems up and running while replacing portions at a time. Many specialized areas like the kitchen, locker rooms, office and old media center, were completely gutted and renovated and had to be schedule over vacation periods since they could not be taken out of service nor isolated from the occupied areas.

Allen Road Elementary School - $3.216 Million

The program included: Construction of a five classroom addition; Media Center expansion, complete replacement of windows; provision of return air mechanical system and improvement of ventilation system; complete classroom and locker renovations; parking expansion and bus loop re-configurations.

Challenges: The classroom library expansion addition was located at the juncture of the existing library and gym. We blocked off windows and constructed temporary partitions so we could isolate the construction areas from the occupied areas. This also included relocating a small section of the library. This project also had an energy performance contractor that we had to coordinate with. We coordinated the design and construction of their work with that of the addition and renovation.

Lakeshore Elementary School - $0.5 Million

The program included: Construction of a four classroom addition and the removal of temporary classroom units.

Challenges: This building was located near a lake which caused extraordinary expense and care in construction of the foundations. The foundations were designed to be 14' deep and dewatering operations were extensive for a project of this size.

North Syracuse Junior High School - $12.7 Million (Phase 1)

The program included: Construction of a four classroom addition, an addition for Music and Choral rooms, an addition expanding the technology center, complete asbestos abatement, complete classroom and locker renovations, complete renovations of the athletic areas including locker rooms and new bleachers, complete mechanical system replacement, installation of a new energy management system, and complete replacement of electrical service, distribution, fire alarm, clock, communication systems, auditorium seating, sound and lighting systems, and stage rigging system.

Challenges: The unique items of this project were the sheer magnitude of the work to be performed within a very compressed schedule. The HVAC system was being completely replaced and air conditioning was added. The majority of the classrooms were in a single 3 story wing which mandated we perform all the work over a single summer. Replacing the HVAC system and completely renovating the entire wing in that time frame was impossible. The solution: We scheduled the work for the piping runs in the ceiling and soffit on a second shift in the spring in preparation for the summer work. We also started demolition of the boiler room and planned for the reconfiguration of the space, after the need for heat had passed. This allowed us to do some of the work prior to summer without disrupting classroom activities during the day. With this accomplished we were able to complete the renovation during the summer on time and under budget. There was about 7 miles of pipe in this project.

North Syracuse Junior High School - $3.2 Million (Phase 2)

The program included: Construction of a two-story, eight classroom addition on top of the existing classrooms, complete renovation of the cafeteria, kitchen/serving areas, and the spaces including the HVAC and food service equipment.

Challenges: As a second project in the same building 4½ years later we added a 2 story addition on top of a one story addition we had previously completed. Although we had emptied the 4 classrooms of students, the construction activities had to be done very carefully to avoid damage to the space below. During this time we also gutted the kitchen and renovated the serving lines which included a small expansion into each of the 2 cafeterias. The previous project did not address one classroom wing that had corridor walls that were in filled around the hall lockers and were not true wall separations. During that summer we demolished those walls and constructed conventional fire walls, replaced doors and lockers. We also had to improve the ventilation because of this change so air handling units and ductwork were added.

Cicero Elementary School - $4 Million

The program included: Construction of an eight classroom addition, complete replacement of all the windows, conversion of one wing from and antiquated steam system to hot water, complete classroom renovations, a new sports field and drainage, locker replacements, boiler replacement, new energy management system, replacement of electrical, distribution, fire, alarm, clock and communication systems.

Challenges: We were able to phase the renovation by using the completed addition as swing space. This allowed us to vacate and separate sections of the existing building and renovate those sections. Then move the original classes back and take the next section.

Michael J. Bragman Athletic Stadium - $6.546 Million

The program included: Construction of a brand new 4,700 seat stadium, including the concession areas, press box, locker rooms, coach's and trainer's room, elevator, relocation of existing bleachers, new synthetic Astroturf surface field, new eight lane all weather running track and field areas, new field lighting, public address system and "state-of-the-art" scoreboard and timing system.

Challenges: This complex was comprised of construction of a 4,700 seat stadium; we relocated the existing 1200 seat bleachers, installed Astroturf for 12 fields and 8 lanes of urethane track for track events such as pole vault and discus throw. The project also included the installation of a "state of the art" video scoreboard with electronic timing. The total project value was over $6.5M and was constructed in 2 phases in order to be fully funded by SED.

Roxboro Road Elementary School - $9.2 Million

The program included: 14 classroom addition; Media Center/Office expansion, complete replacement of the windows; construction of a new return air mechanical system and improvement of the existing ventilation system. Complete classroom, locker, corridor and kitchen renovations; expansion of the parking areas and site lighting improvements were also included in the project.

Challenges: The office addition was particularly sensitive as it encompassed the renovation of the Main Entrance at the same time. Ross Wilson had to complete enough work during vacation periods to allow the Main Entrance to be open while school was in session. The Federal Aviation Authority was also funding some of the work associated with sound abatement, in which we also had to add A/C to the project. We had to coordinate the design and construction of that work (sound abatement and FAA reporting) with the capital project work. This was also the 1st District project we did that incorporated a District wide security initiative, including installation of video cameras, card readers to secure access to restricted areas.

Roxboro Road Middle School - $17 Million

The program included: North Syracuse CSD wanted a completely upgraded, healthy, high performance school building that would meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. In addition to a total building renovation the school received a 10,000 sq ft classroom addition; No spaces in this 151,000 sq ft. building were left untouched. From The classrooms to the nurse's suite to the gymnasium to the auditorium, every room was renovated and updated. Some specialty teaching rooms, including home economics, science and art were relocated and their prior locations were then renovated into classrooms. Outside the new entrance area features heated sidewalks to minimize efforts to keep them clear of snow and ice. The district also wanted the building to be a learning center for students regarding high performance healthy buildings.

Challenges: The biggest challenge to the project was that renovations had to be done while the school remained occupied, so the construction process had to be planned completely prior to bidding so that the contractors knew what to expect during construction. There were a total of nine phases in which one was an addition and the remaining eight were complete renovations of existing areas. Al the construction trades had to deal with the day to day difficulties of coordinating work activities around noise, fumes, and dust constraints, and constant student/teacher activities.

The team used temporary partitions to minimize interruptions to school activities and worked on the loudest and dirtiest aspects of construction outside of school hours. Each phase of the project was completed on time or ahead of schedule and the budget was met. The "LEED" certificate is pending.

North Syracuse Central School District, Smith Road Elementary School, North Syracuse Junior High School, Cicero-North Syracuse School - $15.6M

Project Role: Construction Management
Project Details: Additions and Renovations to Smith Road Elementary School, Additions and Renovations to the Junior High School, Replace Turf field and synthetic track
Project Value: $15.6 Million
Project Reference: Mr. Wayne Bleau, Assistant Superintendent for Mgmt, NSCSD (315) 218-2119

Project Program: This contract is for the replacement of the High School turf field and track and will include Auditorium renovations. The Junior High School has planned a Music Addition, Guidance Suite renovations and other misc. renovations. Smith Road Elementary will have Classroom, Media Center renovations once the programming has been completed. This project represents our 14th consecutive project for North Syracuse CSD. The project is currently in Preconstruction.

Miscellaneous Construction and Re-roofing Projects

Bear Rd Elementary
This project was a 61,350 sq ft Roof renovation. The job was unique in that to we had to remove the roof that contained asbestos materials. The school is located next to a large apartment complex so the dust had to be controlled. The installation of the new roof took place during one of the rainiest and hottest summers on record.

Cicero Elementary This project was a 55,310 sq ft Roof renovation. This job had a unique quality that the existing roof was glued to the existing metal deck and could not be removed using conventional methods. The existing roof also had asbestos containing materials in it. This work was also done during the same summer as the Bear Road project with 2 separate contractors in order to meet the aggressive schedule. We finished on time in spite of all the rain and the oppressing heat.

This projects main goal was to stop water infiltration that had taken place over the years. This was accomplished by removing the existing brick wall system that was in place, removing the windows, installing new window flashing and installing a new water tight metal wall system. All this work had to be complete 2 weeks before the return of the new school year. The fact that the school was next to a housing complex, rendered us unable to work early morning and we had to stop work in the afternoon. The project was completed on schedule.