Terrazzo and toilets
May 9th, 2008 by Paul Leighton
Under the theory that you can’t get enough information about the high school project, we offer these tidbits:
r Mayor Scanlon says the new school will probably have terrazzo floors, a more expensive material that will cost about $1 million. Scanlon said the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the agency that helps cities and towns pay for school building projects, wants the building to last at least 50 years, and terrazzo is more durable.
r The city has secured something you probably never thought possible — a toilet variance. That means the city won’t have to install as many toilets as usually required if it builds a 4200-seat stadium at the high school. Scanlon said the city will be allowed to have 56 toilets — 37 for women, 19 for men, if you must know — almost half what would normally be required.
r About 140 companies are looking to be hired to do the high school work, Scanlon said. That includes those applying to become the geneal contractor as well as the dozens of sub-contractors required for such things as installing the elevators and doing the electrical work. The city is now checking to see which of those companies are qualified, then on June 15 will ask the qualified companies to make their bids. Once those bids come in, the city will have a better handle on exactly how much the entire project will cost.
