By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — And then there were three.
The list of potential designers for a new Wakefield Memorial High School building project has been narrowed down to three firms.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Designer Selection Panel met last week to review the applications of the 10 architectural firms who submitted their names for consideration. After the review, each member of the panel ranked the firms in order of preference. The top three scoring firms will be interviewed at the Designer Selection Panel’s next meeting on Aug. 17. The panel will select the designer for the project from the three finalists.
The three finalists are:
• Arrowstreet Inc. in association with Moody Nolan
• Finegold Alexander Architects in association with Dore & Whittier
• Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, Inc. (SMMA)
The MSBA Designer Selection Panel (DSP) has jurisdiction over the procurement of designers in connection with cities, towns, regional school districts and independent agricultural and technical schools seeking funding from the MSBA for public school construction projects whose estimated construction cost is anticipated to be $5,000,000 or greater.
The DSP is made up of 13 appointed members and three representatives of the local city, town or regional school district who are selected by the district on a project-by-project basis. The three members from the respective city, town or regional school district include one member designated by the school committee, the superintendent of schools or his/her designee and the chief executive officer of the city or town or his/her designee.
Wakefield’s representatives on the DSP are School Superintendent Doug Lyons, Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio and School Committee member Ami Wall.
The 13 members appointed by the MSBA are recruited from recommended candidates of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA), the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC) and the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (the AGC) as well as MSBA staff, independent design and construction professionals.
The goals of the DSP as listed on the MSBA website include: high quality design services for public building projects; application of consistent procedures in the procurement of the design services; broad-based participation of all qualified design consultants; and integrity and transparency of the process for procurement of design services.
The selection of a designer is the next step in a long process aimed at addressing deficiencies with the aging Wakefield Memorial High School facility at 60 Farm Street.
After being rejected for three straight years, Wakefield Memorial High School was accepted into the MSBA’s funding program on Dec. 11, 2019. The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities.
Last spring, project management firm LeftField was chosen by the Permanent Building Committee to serve as Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for the Wakefield Memorial High School building project. An OPM works as a consultant on behalf of the town through the completion of the project and must be completely independent from the designer, general contractor and any sub-contractors involved in the project at all times.