LYNN — Construction of the new Pickering Middle School continues to move steadily forward, with the Pickering Building Committee reporting on Wednesday evening that the building is approximately 36% complete and major structural milestones are being reached ahead of the summer months.

Project Director of LeftField, Lynn Stapleton, said 96% of the project budget has been committed, while roughly 40% has been expended to date. 

Despite delays tied to an extended construction timeline, Stapletown stated that spending remains aligned with the revised schedule.

“We are on track with our latest schedule of completion,” Stapleton said during the presentation.

Committee members were shown updated photographs and drone footage documenting progress across the construction site, including newly poured slabs, framing work, and the installation of infrastructure systems inside the building.

Construction crews have continued installing spray fireproofing on the building’s structural steel while also advancing work on a new stair and ramp connecting the new school to the existing structure on the east side of the campus.

Site work has accelerated on the north side of the building, where utilities have been completed, and paving is expected as weather conditions allow. 

Consigli Project Manager Brandon Moseley also shared that the roadway will eventually connect back out to Conomo Avenue and serve as part of the final traffic layout.

Inside the building, crews have completed underground mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work in several areas, allowing teams to begin preparing and pouring concrete slabs.

Drone footage taken in mid-April offered a detailed look inside the future school, including the cafeteria, gymnasium, and the large central learning stair connecting multiple floors.

Moseley said the footage highlighted how rapidly work has progressed over the last month. Areas shown unfinished in the video have since received concrete slab placements, and exterior framing on the second floor is now “almost complete.”

“We’re going to be working our way up, actually starting tomorrow on the third floor elevation,” Moseley said. “So you’re really going to see, if you drive by, studs going up a little more rapidly here.”

Project leaders also announced a major milestone expected by the end of May.

“Our milestone date, that Friday of Memorial Day week, all concrete slabs will be complete, which is a fantastic milestone for us,” Moseley shared.

As structural work nears completion, the project is beginning to transition into interior systems installation. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors are increasing their presence on site, while crews prepare for overhead rough-ins and wall construction throughout the building.

Interior masonry work around the elevator shaft began earlier this month and is progressing quickly. 

Moseley said masons are expected to transition into stair shaft construction next.

The Committee also marked a milestone of its own during the meeting, which Mayor Jared Nicholson noted was the Committee’s 50th meeting since the project began.

“Thank you all for your dedication and coming to these meetings and participating in this process,” Nicholson said.

Beyond construction, school and city leaders emphasized the educational partnerships growing alongside the project. 

Students from Lynn Vocational Technical Institute recently toured the site, and several students are now being considered for summer construction management internships.

“It really makes the learning come alive, and it affords them the opportunity to see themselves in the real world,” Superintendent Molly Cohen stated while thanking project leaders for mentoring students on site.

The Committee also discussed outreach with neighborhood residents living near the project. While acknowledging occasional concerns about evening construction activity, project representatives said communication with abutters has been positive.

“In general, they’ve been extremely patient and tolerant with the construction activities and all that comes with it,” Senior Project Manager of Leftfield, Craig DiCarlo, said. 

A separate in-person meeting with direct abutters is expected to take place in June to review landscaping plans and gather feedback on plantings that will buffer nearby homes from the school property.

The next Committee meeting is scheduled for June 17.