By Carol P. Bartold     

Apr. 29, 2015:  The much-anticipated completion of the Bronxville School auditorium renovation, delayed when the original contractor walked off the job in January, is back on track for substantial completion by the June 20 graduation date.

Dan Carlin, assistant superintendent for business, added that by May 22 the district should have full access to the auditorium.

"It's a tight timeline," said Carlin, noting that the contractor has not asked for any extensions. "Our goal is to have the construction fence down and have things looking spruced up by graduation." Carlin emphasized that, weather permitting, graduation will be held outside. The district, however, wants the option to hold graduation in the auditorium should weather make an indoor ceremony necessary.

Important construction milestones are coming up within the next few weeks. Crews have spent several weeks building structural foam forms over which concrete will be poured to create the sloped floor and various seating levels in the auditorium. Carlin expects that a surveyor will be onsite to ensure the proper slope angle.

With the completion of concrete block work during the week of April 19, Carlin expects brick exterior work to begin this week.

Seating installation will come near the end of the construction process.

Window installation for the new auditorium lobby is scheduled for either this week or next. Carlin noted that when the windows are in place, the lobby will be closed in and workers can proceed to finish it. He described the lobby as the "last piece" of the renovation that is going to be completed.

Although the surety took over the contract to ensure completion on a timely basis when the original contractor abandoned the job, Carlin emphasized that the terms of the original $4.2 million contract remain in place and that the district faces no financial exposure because of the takeover. All change orders to the contract arose from either conditions discovered during demolition or additional work the district wanted done. "The delays are not costing anyone money," he said.

Consensus among board members, especially those who also serve on the facilities committee, is that, while construction on the auditorium progresses and is on track for June completion, the new general contractor is not moving fast enough. Dr. James Hudson, board member and facilities committee member, stated that the district would rather have the auditorium completed sooner than the projected June completion date.

Carlin pointed out that, under the contract's penalty clause, the contractor would incur $1,000 per day should work go beyond the completion dates stipulated in the takeover agreement.

Hudson stated that, typically, when a contractor leaves a job, it could take many more months to get a contractor onsite. "Our construction manager and our attorneys, who were on top of this and on top of the new contractor, have made this fluid," he said.

Carlin noted, however, that the replacement contractor is working at a quicker pace than the original contractor and that the quality of work has been excellent. "It's just nice to see a lot of guys out there working," he said.

To see photos of the auditorium under construction, click here: Bronxville School Auditorium Construction.

Pictured here:  Bronxville School auditorium currently under construction. 

Photo above by N. Bower and other photos in link by A. Warner