West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool Building Project

What's happening behind the fence at the West Elementary and Shawsheen Building Project? 

Periodically, we will share a time lapse video of the construction of the new schools as they are being built! From new equipment, weather conditions, and the progress of the buildings, check out the videos to see what happened last week! 

Stay up-to-date on the West El & Shawsheen School Building Project
*Please note that if you are a current West El & Shawsheen family or staff, we will automatically send updates, no need to sign up! 
Week of April 24 - May 1, 2023

Previous Time Lapse Videos

January-March 2023

Project Overview

As these videos show, construction of the new West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool is well underway. After many years of planning, construction of the new schools began in the summer of 2022, with fencing to separate the construction site for the new schools from the current school, as well as new playgrounds and play areas, a new parking area, and new site circulation patterns.

Construction continued in the fall of 2022 with the installation of concrete foundations, underground utilities, and a retaining wall to separate the new bus drive area from the adjacent wetlands. At a Special Town Meeting on December 1, 2022, Andover voters approved additional funding for the project which was required due to unprecedented economic conditions occurring throughout the country. (Thank you to Andover voters!) With that approval, the project is now able to secure a Guaranteed Maximum Price with our construction manager, Gilbane Building Company, which caps construction costs. Most of the trade contracts and subcontracts needed to complete construction are now in place. Construction of the structural steel frame for the new schools began in late January of 2023 and is expected to be completed by mid-March of 2023.

Construction of the new schools is projected to take a total of about two years, after which the current school will be demolished, and new playing fields and parking areas installed in its place. West El students and staff will be welcomed into their new school in August of 2024 for the start of the school year. Shawsheen students and staff will be welcomed to their new school the following August.

For those who would like to learn more about the project, please see the information below. The FAQs and Presentations sections contain lots of useful information. If you still have questions, please contact Joel Blumstein, the Building Committee Chair, at joel.blumstein@andoverma.us.

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WESB Project Timeline May 2022
View All FAQs
By the Numbers  
Enrollment 1,055 students (includes Pre-K)
Building Size 191,028 SF
MSBA Max Reimbursement Rate 45.85%
Effective Reimbursement Rate 22.87%
Total Project Budget $168,066,623
Anticipated MSBA Grant $38,442,820
Anticipated District Share $129,623,803

Module 7

Module 7

Overall Steps in the Process

MSBA Modules

Module 7 Presentations

Module 6 Presentations

Module 5 Presentations

West Elementary School video - May 2021

Yes to West video Opens in new window

Archived  previous presentations (Module 1 - Module 4)

Meetings are live-streamed on Andover TV and may be watched on Comcast 99 and Verizon 43.

To view a previous West El & Shawsheen PreK School Building Committee meeting, click here for video archives. For previous agendas and minutes, click here. 


Committee Members


Joel Blumstein
Chairperson
Andrew Flanagan
Town Manager
Susan McCready
School Committee
Tracey Spruce
School Committee
Dr. Magda Parvey SuperintendentJanet Nicosia
Director of Facilities
Keith Taverna
Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Administration
Elizabeth Roos
Member
Jennifer Hunt
Member
Heather Eigen
Member
Donna Walsh
Finance Director
Paul Rollins
Member
Siggy Pfendler
Member
Armata Kirpalani
Member
Rick Almeida
Member
Mark Johnson
Member
Carol Green
Member




Owner’s Project Manager: PMA Consultants
Architect: SMMA
Construction Manager: Gilbane Building Company
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)