Press Release -- Joint Building Committee, October 18, 2002

The Joint Building Committee (JBC) today (October 18, 2002), at its regularly scheduled meeting, approved a $30,050,000 construction budget for Portsmouth High School (PHS).

With the budget approved, the JBC then voted to enter into a "guaranteed maximum price" construction management agreement for this amount with Hutter Construction Company of New Ipswich, NH to complete the new construction and renovations at PHS.

It is expected that foundation and concrete work to the 200,000 sq. ft. new addition of PHS will begin immediately. Preliminary site work and construction of a community athletic building has been taking place on site since early June 2002.

Once the new addition is completed in 2003, work will then begin on the renovation of 120,000 sq. ft. of the existing PHS building. Some demolition of the academic sections of the existing building will also take place at this time. All work is expected to be completed by the end of 2004.

The JBC voted to include in its construction budget the inclusion of a 100-seat group instruction room, mechanical commissioning, and re-roofing of all roofs on the existing building Funding of the replacement of the auditorium seating will come from a community-wide fundraising effort to receive donations for seating on an individual basis.

This fund-raising effort is expected to be kicked off in November 2002 so that the seating can be put in place during the summer of 2003.

Click here for Summary and plans of PHS Renovation Plan