The current and future Waltham High School were scrutinized this week after being reviewed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

In a letter received on Jan. 24 by stakeholders of the project, MSBA Director of Capital Planning Mary Pichetti, detailed concerns regarding the Preferred Schematic Report of the new Waltham High School.

The comments were in response to a feasibility study that was submitted on Dec. 20, 2018.

The high cost, project scope, ownership of the property, utilization rate by students, and costs of repurposing the existing high school were flagged by the MSBA as areas that need more examination by the City and School Committee.

The district has two weeks to respond to these concerns.

By the numbers

The cost of the project is estimated at roughly $380 million if the school is developed on the 554 Lexington St. site—which is home to the 100-year-old religious order, the Stigmatine Fathers and Brothers. That number is $175 million over the number developed in the Designers Request for Services, mentioned in the letter.

The MSBA outlined the costs in increments:

• $12 million for construction costs at 554 Lexington St.

• $14 million for project costs at 554 Lexington St.

• $53 million for construction and renovation of the existing site

• $65 million for project costs of the existing site

The footprint of the property at 554 Lexington St. is not entirely eligible for MSBA funding.

Reimbursement rates would change based on the scope of the project, something that needs to be reexamined by stakeholders, according to the MSBA’s letter.

On Jan. 16, stakeholders met with the Facilities Assessment Subcommitte—known as FAS—in Boston, where cost concerns were discussed, Superintendent Dr. Drew Echelson says.

“It is true that the meeting began with concerns about the cost of the project,” Echelson said by email. “We will be working very aggressively at a local level to bring down the costs as we move through the planning process. We are still a ways out from establishing a final scope and budget and we have significant work to do to bring down costs during this period.”

The concerns were expected and will be addressed, Echelson said.

“Members of the FAS made clear that the MSBA staff and board members go through submissions in a very detailed and careful way to ensure they are strong stewards of the public dollar,” he said by email. “They, therefore, prepared us to see a feedback form that would aggressively address and focus on areas of concerns.”

Litigation of the land

Another issue: ownership.

Until the city owns the property, the MSBA will not proceed with funding the project at 554 Lexington St. The city voted 10-4 to take the land by eminent domain; however the matter is still in litigation.

When it comes to enrollment, there is concern for the use of the space as proposed in the district’s PSR.

The MSBA outlined the need to consolidate spaces and to make them more efficient for student use. The plan has an 85 percent of utilization of space and full-time enrollment of 1,695 students, according to the letter.

Fate of 617 Lexington St.

The use of the space—utilization rate—is low, at 68 percent, based on the spaces in the PSR and the full-time enrollment number of 1,830 students.

The existing high school—based at 617 Lexington St.—was given multiple options for its future in the PSR: a middle school, a K-8 school, an administrative building, a dual-language school, a parent information center, or as a community space.

The MSBA requested more information for each of these options, asking the district to provide specifics including how the current space will be used and a summary of local discussions regarding the existing high school.

What’s next

Next month, the project could be officially voted into Schematic Design phase at the MSBA Board Meeting; a phase that is estimated to take 6-8 months to complete. A preliminary estimate puts the school’s opening in the fall of 2024.

The School Committee and School Building Committee will continue to work on the issues raised this week, Echelson said via email.

“We plan to plug away to respond to feedback, make adjustments, and ensure that our preferred alternative at 554 Lexington Street is what we deliver to this community in the most cost-effective way,” he said.

The MSBA Board meeting will be held next month on Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon.