Burlington's Fox Hill Elementary to Enter Construction Phase
A familiar builder comes in under estimates and is expected to begin work on the new school this spring
Burlington's Fox Hill School Building Committee has chosen a contractor to complete the long-anticipated construction of a new Fox Hill Elementary School.
The decision was made at the February 24 School Building Committee meeting following a review of both qualified bids. Following several years of increasingly detailed design, the Committee opened bids in late 2025. Brait Builders and CTA Construction both submitted bids under the $73.7 million construction estimate the Committee provided to the Massachusetts School Buliding Authority (MSBA) in December.
At $68.7 million, CTA's bid was the lowest and successfully met all submission requirements. Furthermore, each phase of the process has produced a lower estimate than the prior phase. While this estimate only includes construction costs (and not project management, fixtures, and other costs), the project is coming in about $10 million under initial estimates, said Committee Chair Melissa Massardo.
The Committee voted to accept the lowest estimate, in keeping with state law, which means CTA will soon come on board and begin work. The firm has worked on a number of other projects in Burlington, including the Marshall Simonds Middle School renovation-addition and the new construction of Memorial Elementary School.
DiNisco Design and Dore + Whittier, the design and project management firms supporting the Fox Hill project, are working with CTA on another project, and their representatives expressed eagerness to continue this collaboration.
At the same meeting, the Committee also voted to add a temporary play structure at Fox Hill for students to use during construction. The disassembly and relocation of the structure once it's no longer needed comes with a $200,000 price tag, a fact which made some Committee members hesitate, but ultimately the body voted to proceed so the equipment could be installed over April vacation and used for the remainder of the school year.
The Fox Hill rebuild is not the only project in Burlington whose work is coming in under initial estimates. Bids for the town's new police station were under budget; the town also paid a portion of the project using free cash, decreasing the amount the town will have to borrow for the project.
The town is soon expected to enter into a contract with CTA for a new Fox Hill, and work will begin this spring. The new building will be constructed on the grassy area to the north of the site, and after students are moved (expected: 2028), the old school will be demolished.
