Watertown officials are staring down a potential nine-figure price tag as they move ahead with detailed designs for a possible new middle school. The city has asked architects to prepare full, biddable plans and updated cost estimates for a project that could top $100 million, so leaders can see exactly what they would be signing up for and how it fits with borrowing limits and other priorities. In the meantime, the city has bought the temporary modular classrooms at Moxley Field outright to avoid ongoing lease payments while it tests whether a full rebuild is financially within reach.
Architects have begun work on schematic designs, and the School Building Committee has voted to bring on a designer to develop full plans, according to Watertown News. Superintendent Dede Galdston told the School Committee that constructing a new building, instead of renovating the existing 1922/1998-era structure, is the working plan. The design phase will include teacher and staff input on classroom finishes and furniture. Officials say the completed designs will go out for another round of cost estimates this spring so the City Council can decide whether the numbers add up.
Design Team And Local Planning
The search for a designer kicked off last year, and the district has leaned on firms that have already worked on other Watertown school projects, according to Watertown Public Schools. City and school leaders have used the broader “Building for the Future” planning effort to spell out educational goals and square-footage needs, groundwork that the current schematic designs are turning into actual drawings and costed project scopes. The idea is that this up-front planning will make the next round of cost estimates more accurate and easier for residents to scrutinize.
Price Tag, Financing And Timetable
An earlier feasibility study put the price of a full middle school rebuild at about $112 million, a figure City Manager George Proakis called significantly higher than what Watertown had set aside, according to Watertown News. Proakis has said he would look to cover the project through a combination of operating budget shifts and borrowing instead of going to voters for a debt-exclusion override. Superintendent Galdston has suggested that, if the City Council signs off, construction could start in spring 2027 and wrap up in fall 2029. Officials note that owning the Moxley Field modulars outright cuts lease costs and shaves a few million from earlier overall totals.
Next Steps For Residents And Leaders
In the coming weeks, designers are expected to finish schematic drawings, and the city plans to seek another set of cost estimates before the City Council takes up the question of whether to move forward. Committee agendas and school board materials are slated to track each decision point along the way. For now, the modular classrooms at Moxley Field will stay put while Watertown weighs financing options, potential construction delivery methods and the possibility of applying for MSBA reimbursement. Moxley’s role as a temporary school site during the high school project, and the longer-term renovation plans for the field, are outlined on the town’s park project page, according to the Town of Watertown.
