New Fox Hill School Design to be Refined in Coming Months

Now that Town Meeting has approved funding for a new elementary school here in Burlington, the Elementary School Building Committee is entering the design development phase of the project, during which they'll be working to refine the Fox Hill school design.

Dore & Whittier, the Owner's Project Manager for this project, shared a project timeline from now through the winter of 2025, highlighting a year's worth of project milestones. With town funding approved, the team is now working to finalize the state side of the agreement; this will ensure the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) can provide partial reimbursements along the way.

The design development process is expected to go through February, after which the team will incorporate feedback from the MSBA and then work on construction documents, which will be reviewed by the state at 60% and 90% completion. Throughout the process, two working groups will be meeting to provide input into the plans. The interior and exterior design working group will meet monthly, while the building systems and sustainability working group will meet as needed within this framework. The committee also discussed the need to involve other town departments and committees, such as Planning and Conservation, in the design process to ensure all aspects of the project are coordinated.

Some committee members expressed concern about ensuring sustainability remains a priority. Roger Riggs emphasized the need to address solar panel installation in a timely manner, saying, "I personally would like to see it be done so it's in place by the time the building opens as opposed to being brought in later." Lead designer Donna DiNisco reminded the group that they can and should look into whether power purchase agreement or outright purchase of solar panels would be most cost-effective for the town over time.

Committee members also discussed the importance of revisiting design elements with teachers and staff. Superintendent Eric Conti suggested organizing site visits to review specific features like cubbies, lockers, and sink heights.

This next phase of design development and construction document preparation will be ongoing for the next 12+ months, and the project team plans to open the bidding process for construction in December of 2025. The new Fox Hill school Building is expected to welcome its first class of students in 2028.

For more background on this project, check out our Focus on Fox Hill archive.