Government

City Council Votes to Make Renovating Watertown Middle School a Priority

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Watertown Middle School

Watertown Middle School will be the next major project constructed by the City of Watertown. Tuesday night, the City Council voted to move the school to the top of the Capital Projects list. One of the primary reasons was to take advantage of the cost savings provided by using the modular classes set up on Moxley Field for students while the school is under construction. The City Council held a special meeting after City Manager George Proakis asked Councilors said a decision must be made about when to take on the middle school project because the modular classrooms currently serving as the temporary Watertown High School will be removed in 2026 unless the City extends the lease. The Middle School is not the only project on the list of priorities.

Government

Replacing Watertown Senior Center Included in City’s 5-Year Capital Plan

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Courtesy of the City of WatertownThe City’s Capital Improvement Plan includes replacing the Watertown Senior Center. Building a new Senior Center made the list of projects planned to be undertaken by the City of Watertown over the next five years, Watertown City Manager George Proakis at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Proakis presented the Fiscal Year 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes $210 million of projects with $93 million of general obligation bonds to cover part of the cost. Senior Center

The City explored replacing the Senior Center in 2022 as part of a review of the Phillips Building site. That study by Ai3 Architects, done during the planning for the new Watertown High School, looked at tearing down the former Phillips School, but Proakis said that would be too disruptive for the Watertown Public Schools administration, as well as Watertown Cable that now resides in the basement.

Government

City’s 5-Year Capital Plan Includes Park Projects, School Improvements, and Demolishing the Old Police Station

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The five-year Capital Improvement Plan includes 43 items, including 19 new items for Fiscal Year 2024. Projects in the pan include the new Watertown High School, the Victory Field track and courts area, the second part of the Arsenal Park renovation, and the demolition of the old Police Station. In addition, the capital plan also includes a field house at Victory Field, an extension of the Community Path, replacement of the spray pad at Filippello Park, lighting improvements at Saltonstall Park, improvements to the baseball field at Casey Park, and improvements to Sullivan Playground. There are also multiple projects at Watertown’s schools, improvement projects at the Library, the newly acquired Parker School office building, and at the John A. Ryan Skating Arena. Purchases of vehicles and equipment for the Fire Department and the Department of Public Works also made the list.

Government

City Manager Outlines Schedule for Renovating Watertown Parks, Other Capital Projects

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City of WatertownAn aerial view of Victory Field. Multiple projects at the complex are on the City’s five year capital improvement plan. Watertown’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) includes preparing the former Parker School to house City departments, upgrades to the skating arena, park and recreation projects, and making municipal facilities more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. The proposed Watertown Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-28 includes $245.74 million in projects and equipment purchases, of which $161.39 million would be funded with general obligation bonds. City Manager George Proakis told the City Council on Tuesday that the numbers could change depending on the rising cost of construction, inflation, and how much tax revenue from new developments (known as new growth) occurs in Watertown.

Government

Watertown’s Capital Budget Includes School Projects, Park Improvements & Mt. Auburn St. Funds

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Watertown Town Hall

Town Council approved $22.2 million in projects and equipment purchases as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 capital spending plan, including funds for the elementary and high school building projects, improvements to Town parks and the Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction. The plan has 33 items on it. The Town Council’s budget policy is to spend between 7.5 and 8 percent of the total Town budget on capital spending. Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli, who is chair of the Budget & Fiscal Oversight Committee, said the figure would represent 14.02 percent of the projected Town expenditures, or 7.11 percent without the $10.9 million earmarked for the school building projects.

Government

Town’s Capital Budget Includes Nearly $300 Million for School Construction

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Watertown’s five-year capital improvement plan calls for $467.8 million in projects and equipment purchases, and the Town maintained the top bond rating — which recently paid off with several million in savings. More than half the funds in the Fiscal Year 2022-26 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will go toward the reconstruction of Watertown’s schools, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll when he presented the CIP to the Town Council on Tuesday night. The CIP went down $56.35 million from the FY 21-25 plan. The reconstruction and renovation of Watertown’s three elementary schools will cost $89.5 million, and $200 million has been budgeted for the reconstruction of Watertown High School and related costs. The CIP calls for borrowing $157.18 million for street and sidewalk repair projects.

Capital Improvement Plan

Watertown’s Capital Plan Includes School, Park and Street Repair Projects

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Watertown’s plan for major projects and purchases includes funding for the school building projects, improvements to parks, upgrades of fire stations and street and sidewalk repairs. The proposed Fiscal Year 2021-25 Capital Improvement Plan was released this week, and discussions of the projects begin this coming week. One of the largest expenditures on the five-year spending plan is $295 million on the rebuilding and renovation of Watertown’s three elementary schools and Watertown High School. Numerous parks have improvement projects in the plan. The most significant is the $3 million renovation of the Victory Field Track and Courts.

Government

School Projects, Parks Big Part of Watertown’s 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan

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Reconstructing Watertown’s public schools and renovating some of the parks in town made up a significant part of the conceptual recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2020-24 Capital Improvement Plan, which were approved by the Town Council on Tuesday. The Capital Improvement Plan covers five years, and includes more than $503 million in possible spending on construction, building repairs, vehicles, and equipment. The amount budgeted for Fiscal Year 2020 (which starts July 1, 2019) is $11,196,937 or about 7.6 percent of the total Town Budget. On Tuesday, the Council gave approval to a list of 29 conceptual recommendations on the FY20-24 Capital Improvement Plan. Much of the work will be paid for by money borrowed by the Town, but some will be paid through the money collected through property taxes, grants and other ways.