City says South Norwalk school is on schedule; Norwalk High School and HVAC projects advancing amid reimbursement timing concerns

Alan Lowe provided the monthly school construction update for the Board of Estimate and Taxation on Jan. 6.

South Norwalk School: Lowe said the project remains on its planned schedule and budget. The structural frame is up, roofing is in place, exterior and some interior work are underway, and the project is tracking to substantial completion around Aug. 15, 2025. Lowe noted work to acquire and consolidate five adjacent properties as part of the campus expansion and said the team is pursuing roughly $1.2 million in state reimbursement tied to site development costs.

Norwalk High School: Lowe said foundations and underground utilities are complete and the project is moving toward steel erection in February. He described the schedule as on track for staged completion; furniture and related procurement will follow state and council approvals.

HVAC and other system improvements: Six HVAC projects were approved by the state; supply-chain lead times are a constraint. For example, rooftop unit lead times mean a Brookside School bid will need contract execution and unit delivery in time for a July installation window to meet an Aug. 15 deadline. Electrical switching gear and specialized mechanical equipment have delivery timelines measured in months; the city is sequencing removals and installations and discussing hazardous-material abatement to enable summer work windows for larger projects.

Reimbursement and retainage: City staff said state reimbursement processing can lag by one to two months. Recently, state retainage moved as high as 11% and has since returned to about a 5% level, improving cash-flow expectations for current projects. Lowe said the city has submitted the second reimbursement for South Norwalk and filed the second reimbursement for the high school.

Ending

Staff will circulate a cash-flow spreadsheet and updated reimbursement detail after the meeting; officials said they will monitor retainage and scheduling risks and keep the BET informed.