Newly Renovated Danvers High Ready to Go for Opening Day

It arrived just in the nick of time. Public Works Director David Lane said an occupancy permit was issued by the building inspector Tuesday morning for Danvers High School, allowing the newly renovated building to open to students for the first day of school on Wednesday.

"This opening represents the final milestone of this long awaited project, approved by Special Town Meeting on Nov. 16, 2009. The project was completed on time, and the $70,911,000 estimated project cost is well below the original estimates," Lane wrote in a report to Town Manager Wayne Marquis.

The Mass. School Building Authority contributed more than $30 million of that total amount.

Marquis relayed to selectmen Tuesday night that the project is still expected to come under even the latest budget. He said construction in Phase 2 of the renovations has gone much smoother than Phase 1, thereby leaving fewer punch list items for Bacon Construction to wrap up.

He said everyone involved in the project was excited to be at this stage -- "We're just looking forward to opening day."

Lane noted visitors to the school would be greeted by a new front entrance, cafeteria, student cafe, student store and the principal's office, all a marked difference to the old layout of the Dunn Wing or the old high school.

"We encourage everyone to look for the impressive Town Seal formed into the terrazzo floor reminding us that this new school was created by the citizens of Danvers for all its citizens," he wrote.

A formal public dedication ceremony is scheduled for late October.

Marquis also called the substantial completion of the project a "wonderful last hurrah" for DPW Buildings Supervisor Bob Levasseur, who will be retiring later this year.

Lane lastly noted that one of the details Bacon will be finishing up includes hydroseeding the new lawn area in front of the school.

He said the High School Athletic Facilities Committee appointed by Marquis is also hard at work assessing possible updates to the stadium and fields and should have a report for selectmen by the end of the year.