Mayor Cohen's Weekly Press Conference

August 27, 2007

Newton North Update

As the summer of 2007 comes to a close, it is worthwhile to reflect on what has been accomplished at Newton North as we continue this important project.  This summer we have made considerable progress at North.  Since our innovative groundbreaking event on July 2nd, when local elected and school officials took sledgehammers to the old Dickenson Stadium, construction crews have been onsite and hard at work.

The work that has already been done can be described as site preparation and demolition.  The first order of business was to install a construction fence and fabric around the entire worksite to protect against dust and noise, while providing a public safety barrier as construction work continues.  We also installed an air filter fabric on the intakes of the HVAC rooftop system on the existing school to guard against contaminates getting into the air within the current building.  Our construction manager also completed pre-construction surveys on 40 adjacent properties to ensure no damage is done during construction, with more inspections for residents on Lowell Avenue to follow when the current building is demolished.

With these safety measures in place, the demolition of the old stadium began in earnest.  The stadium is nearly gone now, and the concrete is being crushed onsite for reuse.  Crews have also backfilled and hydroseeded the stadium slope, and grass has already begun to grow.

In order to prepare the site for the constructing of the new building, crews have removed existing equipment and fencing, relocated the existing tennis shed to Newton South, stripped and stockpiled the asphalt paving from the old tennis courts and running track, prepared the pad and installed the construction office trailers, installed a fire access road at the rear of the existing building, installed a construction entrance at Walnut Street, and cleared trees from the site as necessary.  In the coming weeks, crews will set up construction trailers, install a wheel wash, install four streetlights on Elm Road for enhanced lighting, install signage for “Tiger Permit” parking along neighborhood streets, and they will widen and stripe a portion of Elm Road, off Walnut Street, for parking.

While it is very gratifying to me that we are making progress on the construction, equally gratifying is the public process we’ve continued throughout this important project.  The Newton North Liaison Committee continues to meet on a regular basis, where thoughts and information are shared.  I would urge interested residents to visit the City’s website at www.ci.newton.ma.us and click on the link to the Liaison Committee for the latest information throughout the project.

As we welcome back students all across the City, we can be proud of the outstanding school we are building.  With the modernized Newton South, and the new Newton North, the schoolchildren of Newton will soon have facilities to match the finest secondary education in the Commonwealth they are receiving.  Our progress continues each and every day.