LYNCH REPLACEMENT PROJECT

Winchester's next neighborhood elementary school for generations to come

Welcome!

With a strong showing of community support for the project at the January 2023 debt-exclusion override election following unanimous Town Meeting approval in November 2022, the New Lynch design is complete and Brait Builders have begun construction off of Brantwood Road with Lynch students now studying at The Parkhurst School until June 2025.

This site will be updated periodically as we move forward with construction.  Here you will find information on the current facility, the School Facilities Master Plan, the site, the team, the process, design/planning updates, costs & authorizations and news/announcements.  Questions are welcomed by email to Lynch2025FAQ@gmail.com.  Updates can also be found on Twitter (#Lynch2025).  

Key Facts & Figures

Three-story new construction of 103,500gsf on current site north of today's existing 1960 Lynch Elementary School.  Abatement of the existing building is anticipated to begin late fall 2023 and completion for Fall 2025.  

For more information see The Project and Schedule below.

Preschool: 7 classrooms w/ toilets

Kindergarten: 5 classrooms w/ toilets

Grades 1 & 2: 5 classrooms each

Grades 3 - 5: 4 classrooms each

Also included: Central STE space - Sci/Tech Education

Regulation Gym for continued basketball 

Teacher Planning Rooms on each level

Central K-5 Atrium

A three-story atrium with monumental stair anchors key assembly spaces at the New Lynch, including the gymnasium and cafeteria.  This space is accessible from both the front of the building (directly from main entrance) and the rear, where the new school opens up onto the Lynch Fields to the north.

An open central staircase connects levels one and two, with direct access to Art and the Library Media Center above.

Gymnasium w/ Basketball

The original Lynch Elementary School (1960) was built as Winchester's Junior High School and included a regulation basketball court.

It was important to the Lynch community to keep the court in the New Lynch, so a regulation-sized basketball court with resilient athletic maple flooring is included in the project.  The space doubles as an auditorium, with an elevated stage (at left) opening onto the space. The gym has direct access to a shaded outdoor court area as well as the Lynch fields to the north.

Cafeteria / Assembly Space

The original Lynch Elementary School's cafeteria did double-duty, as a cafeteria and auditorium.  The new building moves the auditorium/stage function to the gymnasium with a dedicated cafeteria and food prep kitchen.

Unlike the original 1960 dining area, this space brings in an abundance of natural light.

Important graphic elements of the orginal school building are being reproduced and incorporated into the new space.

Mock-up Takes Shape

August '24  - Important for both aesthetic and technical review, the Lynch mockup is being constructed at Horn Pond Brook entrance to the site.  The mock up panels are being used to evaluate mortar colors for precast masonry units and jumbo brick, sealant colors for window openings, as well as insulation, brick tie and tooling details.

Topping Off Ceremony

June 17, 2024 -  Brait Builders and the project team marked the placement of the last structural steel beam in a topping off ceremony on Monday, June 17th.  The balance of non-structural frame steel included brick relief angles and corrugated floor decking continues placement with completion by early July.

Steel Frame Erection

May - June '24  - Following footings & foundations built from east to west, the structural steel frame reversed course, erected in sections over the summer from the Brantwood Road side of the site (west) to the Horn Pond Brook Road side (east).  The framing includes support for a solar array at the 3rd floor outdoor classroom.

Site Utilities & Foundations

April - May '24  - New water and sewer lines were installed / rerouted and connected with mains.  Excavation and footings  were prepped with compacted gravel bases, reinforcing steel and concrete pours in anticipation for the start of steel framing.  The mild weather was very helpful!

Groundbreaking on the New Lynch

March 22, 2024  - On a chilly spring day we celebrated the groundbreaking on the New Lynch Elementary School.  MSBA officials, Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Mike Day joined with Winchester officials and Lynch students & families in marking the official start of new construction. 

Demolition & Site Clearing

January - February '24  - Following a comprehensive HazMat abatement, the original 1960 Lynch school was demolished in phases from west to east.  Sitework was also removed as the contractor began to stage the site for utilities and construction.  Site trailers were installed at east end.

Contract Award & Site Mobilization

December '23  - On Dec 4 the EFPBC authorized contract award to Brait Builders of Marshfield, MA.  The $65.7M bid for base scope was sufficiently under the cost estimate for the EFPBC to accept add alternates 1 through 3, as well as alternate 4 with supplemental funding of $300,000 in Free Cash as approved by Fall Town Meeting's Article 18 (see video, right).  No additional long-term borrowing will be required for site solar.

Bidding & Town Meeting on Solar

November '23  - Filed sub-bids were received on Nov 16th. The deadline for general contractor bids was extended from 11/27 to 11/30 to accommodate requests from bidders.  While the project was out for bid, Town Meeting debated-- and supported-- Articles 18 & 19, each providing a pathway for procurement of a full photo-voltaic system and installation as a means to achieve net-zero energy status.  Click image above for Town Meeting debate.

Pre-Bid Walkthroughs and Addenda

October '23  - Interested contractors and subcontractors visited the Lynch project site on Brantwood Road on October 14th with an opportunity to see the existing building and site  first-hand and meet members of the Project Team.  Written questions from contractors during the bidding period were addressed by the OPM (Hill, International) or Architect (Tappe), in some cases with clarifying drawings or specifications  (addenda) issued to bidders.

Materials, Site Visits and Final Design

Summer '23  - The EFPBC met in person to review interior and exterior material selections.  The Committee also conducted site visits with the design team to the Ambrose and Vinson-Owen schools (both Tappe Architects designs) to hear from DPW how various materials or design details have performed over the years and what lessons learned can be taken and incorporated into the New Lynch project.

Central Office Moves & Mods are built

May - June '23  - To make way for Lynch students at Parkhurst during construction, Central Office temporarily relocated staff throughout the district.  The WPS Business Office is now located at Winchester High School.  Fourteen new modular classrooms were built in Pennsylvania and arrived on site for August placement as temporary classrooms during construction of the New Lynch from Fall 2023 to Fall 2025.

100% Design Development, Site Tweaks

March '23  - Following the 100% DD submission to the MSBA-- a key milestone--  the project team continued to make adjustments & improvements to site design, including revised access, queuing and parking from the east, to better accommodate vehicles during drop-off/pick up.  Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing engineers continued to make progress developing their plans and specs, coordinated with the latest architectural design.

Design Development & Parkhurst Prep

Winter '23  - Following voter approval of the Lynch project in January, the Project Team moved into Design Development, with greater detail in plans, exterior massing, and site design.  The team continues to meet with town departments heads and the Conservation Commission.  Modular classrooms for the Parkhurst School began construction off-site.  For more information, see Design page.

Winchester Votes YES for New Lynch

January '23  - On January 7th Winchester voters overwhelmingly supported a debt-exclusion override to construct the New Lynch Elementary School and fund swing space construction at the Parkhurst School.  In addition, voters supported a tax levy increase (operating override) to fund debt service via the Capital Stabilization Fund for traffic/safety improvements in the surrounding Lynch neighborhood.  

MSBA Increases Reimbursement

December  '22  - At its December 21st board meeting, the MSBA voted unanimously to approve a greater Total Maximum Facilities Grant of $20.3M-- an increase of nearly $2.9M.  Though not a change to the overall Project Budget, the vote means that Winchester can expect to borrow nearly $3M less to construct the New Lynch!  See Costs & Authorizations page for more information.

Plans & Exterior Design Develop

July through August '22  - Following the MSBA's approval of the preferred New Lynch option, the Project Team has been developing the floorplans to a greater level of detail, accommodating the approved space program.  In July and August, Tappe Architects and the EFPBC are reviewing this progress as well as exterior massing, elevations and early material concepts.  For more information, see Design page!

Storm Water Management, Design

July '22  - Project civil engineer, Nitsch Engineering shared with the Sustainability Subcommittee its schematic design for storm water management.  The project will include bioretention areas incorporated into the landscape as well as underground infiltration systems to manage both roof and site storm water runoff.  Inside the building, a number of low-flow fixtures types will also be installed.

Summer Drilling & Analysis

July '22  - With the preferred option approved in the spring and the footprint of the New Lynch now well-established, the EFPBC authorized additional geo-technical investigations on site in the form of multiple cores for lab analysis.  Similar to the initial work performed in December of '21, soil sample analysis will help the structural engineer and architect determine foundation design.

Preferred Option Development

May through June '22  - After a month of review by MSBA senior staff, the Executive Board voted on April 27 to approve the preferred design option (N5).  This is a key milestone in the project as N5 and its accompanying space program are now established as the conceptual basis of design.  The Project Team reassembled in May to engage with senior Winchester town staff and department heads (WPD, WFD, DPW, etc) to initiate the Schematic Design process which runs through August.

Wellfield Parcel Transfer

March '22  - Following the PSR submittal to the MSBA, on March 28th Winchester's Spring Town Meeting voted to authorize the transfer of ownership of the adjacent abandoned wellfield parcel from the Select Board to the School Committee.  The transfer of the entire parcel was a requirement of the MSBA, as a portion of the preferred N5 option encroaches onto this land.  A complete decommissioning of the wellfield (abandoned in the early 1960s) will be completed as part of the project.

Design & Site Planning Evolution

March '22  - The Project Team submitted the PSR (Preferred Schematic Report) in March, which included a more developed N5 replacement option.  The PSR included conceptual floor plans with grade-level distribution, preliminary site plan and early phasing & logistics concepts.  With MSBA approval of the preferred schematic in April, the architect will more fully develop this approach into a full Schematic Design package for Fall Town Meeting approval.

And the Winner is.... 

February '22  - On February 7th the EFPBC reviewed the three options to be included in the Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) sent to the MSBA in March.  Although all three options must be submitted, only one may be chosen as the preferred option.  The Committee strongly favored new-build/replacement option N5 and voted to designate this concept as the New Lynch.  For more info on N5, next steps, and the various development options, see Design page.

Options Development and Process

January '22 - On Jan 10th the EFPBC held a public meeting via webinar to present and discuss all eleven (11) early site options, including renovation, addition & renovation, and new-build or replacement options.  The EFPBC narrowed these options down to six and on Jan 24th shortened the list further to four, including two replacement options.  On Jan 31st the Committee identified  the final three options required for inclusion in the March PSR submittal. 

Site Investigation Work

December '21 - Geotech Engineer Weston & Sampson was on site monitoring early soils exploration.  After test pit excavation, drilling rigs were brought on site to collect samples lab samples which help engineers determine soils characterization and design criteria for excavation, earth retention and foundations for the project as well as potential footprint location options or areas of concern.  Survey work began before snowfall and will continue again soon.


What's the Schedule?

Key project milestones from the early Feasibility Study phase and beyond are shown below.  Additional detail will be added once construction contract is awarded.