Henry O. Peabody School Eyed for Mid-November Reopening-October 26, 1985

Reopening Target Set for Mid-November Following Construction Delays

Students attending the Henry O. Peabody vocational school may finally return to their classrooms by mid-November, according to estimates discussed at last night’s permanent building construction committee meeting. While project manager John Sosnowski of Anchor Construction of Lowell—the general contractor handling the $5 million renovation of the high school and the adjacent Peabody facility—maintained the building could be ready by November 8, committee members advised a more conservative timeline.

“Realistically, you’re not looking at anything earlier than Nov. 15, and probably Thanksgiving week,” stated committee member Roger Pelletier. Furthermore, architect Richard Heydecker of Korslund, LeNormand & Quann noted that a final post-construction cleanup will require an additional three to seven days.

The extensive renovation project was originally slated for completion on August 30. Because that deadline was missed, the school department had to scramble to find temporary alternative class spaces for the approximately 175 displaced Peabody students, scattering them between Junior High South and the Willett school—arrangements that both administrators and students have criticized as inadequate.

Permanent Building Committee Withholds $37,000 Over Defective Athletic Fields

In addition to delays at the vocational school, tensions flared regarding the high school renovation project. The construction committee voted to withhold approximately $37,000 in payments to Anchor Construction due to severe dissatisfaction with the newly redesigned football field and running track.

High School Athletic Director Arthur Gulla detailed a litany of complaints, pointing out that the field lacks proper grading and the necessary dome-topped curvature required for adequate drainage and turf protection, resulting in poor sod growth. Gulla warned that correcting the issues will cost two growing seasons. In the meantime, the school department is absorbing a $4,500 annual transportation expense to bus football players to Junior High South for practices, while playing all games entirely away from home.

“We’re spending $4,500 to transport kids to practice, and we probably will next year too,” Gulla said. “We’re playing all our games away—it’s not fair to the kids.” While Sosnowski defended the grading as correct, he agreed that a professional surveyor will evaluate the field the following week to determine whether regrading is necessary.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger