The Framingham Public Schools (FPS) in partnership with the City of Framingham’s School Building Committee is pleased to announce that The Vertex Companies, LLC has been selected as the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for the Pre-K-5 Early Education Center building project. Vertex in collaboration with the School Building Committee will oversee the planning, design, and construction of this major school facility initiative.

“Selecting Vertex as our Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) represents a major step forward in addressing long-standing equity and access challenges in our public school district. This moves this education project from planning into real progress. A new Pre-K to Grade 5 early education center would bring many of our youngest learners closer to the high-quality learning environment they deserve,” said City of Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky. “I want to thank the Framingham School Building Committee for its diligent, thorough work and our partners in the Framingham Public Schools for their collaboration. As we enter the feasibility phase, the City remains committed to a transparent, data-driven, community-driven process to identify the best long-term educational site solution for our students today and for generations to come.”

The opportunity for the City of Framingham to construct a PreK-5 Early Education Center comes both from the need to explore options with the aging Hemenway Elementary School, as well as to address the elementary school location imbalance across the city. Currently, most Framingham students reside on the south side of the City while most of the schools are located on the north side. Earlier studies taken up by the Framingham Public Schools and the City of Framingham to identify suitable parcels of land in the City for the eventual construction of a new school found that options exist to repurpose Hemenway Elementary School for continued educational usage, as well as found that a parcel of property on Bethany Road would be a suitable location for a new, southside school, if a new location was needed. 

Vertex was chosen by the School Building Committee following a comprehensive, qualifications-based procurement process that included the review of multiple proposals and interviews with shortlisted firms. As required under Massachusetts law, Framingham’s selection was subsequently submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for final confirmation, which has been granted. This step allows the project team to move forward with the next phase of work and evaluate multiple site options including the properties located at Hemenway and Bethany.

“While we, of course, must exercise due diligence in finding the best location for a new school that meets our educational programming needs,” said Dr. Robert A. Tremblay, Superintendent of the Framingham Public Schools, “I am so excited about the possibility of a new school facility on the south side of Framingham to meet our students and families where they live while simultaneously fully realizing the vision for universal PreK for all Framingham 4-year olds.”

“We are excited to see this project move forward and bring a long-awaited school, ideally located on the south side of Framingham where the majority of our students reside,” said Jessica Barnhill, Chair of the School Committee, and School Building Committee Member. “Selecting an experienced OPM is a major milestone, and we look forward to partnering with Vertex to ensure this project delivers a modern, vibrant learning environment for our students. This new school will be an important asset for our community for generations to come.”

Last year, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) accepted Framingham’s application for a new school project, with Hemenway Elementary as the named location as the next school needing a major renovation or replacement. The MSBA is the state authority that administers and funds a program of grants for Massachusetts school projects. They mandate a multi-step rigorous study and approval process encompassed within the Feasibility Study and if approved by a future MSBA Board vote, will provide Framingham a grant expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars for eligible costs from the Feasibility Study, design, and school building construction. Formally, as part of the MSBA process, this effort is named the Hemenway Elementary School Project.

Hemenway Elementary School is the school district’s next designated school for renovation or replacement given its age and capacity to fulfill the educational programming vision of the long-term strategic plan for the Framingham Public Schools. Hemenway was built in 1961, and has had minimal investment since it was built. The building systems require significant investment to maintain the necessary functions. The existing facility is insufficient for the enrollment and curriculum of the Framingham Public Schools, and the existing building’s scale and orientation of spaces are outdated and unable to properly adapt to the needs of contemporary educational service delivery.

“This is the first step in a comprehensive process that will consume the next three years,” said George P. King, Jr, Chair of the School Building Committee and City Councilor At-Large. “I am hopeful Vertex will be able to lead us through a challenging decision making process that will result in a successful outcome for all interests.”

As OPM, Vertex will serve as the City’s and District’s trusted advisor throughout the project, providing expertise in project management, cost controls, schedule development, procurement, design review, and construction oversight. The firm brings deep experience with MSBA-funded school projects statewide, including new construction and major renovations.

The City of Framingham previously hired architects to perform a pre-feasibility study for the expansion or replacement of the existing Hemenway Elementary School. This pre-feasibility study delved into the existing building and site, and also expanded to looking at options for a new site. As OPM, Vertex will now support the next phase by updating this past study under the direction of the School Building Committee in compliance with the MSBA process in order to deliver a new feasibility study for this major school facility initiative and remain eligible for state grants for construction.

“As a leader in the K-12 school market, The Vertex Companies is excited to be a part of this transformative project as we examine the potential for the future Hemenway School to improve education in all of Framingham,” stated Christopher Eberly, Project Executive for The Vertex Companies.

About the Framingham School Building Committee

The Framingham School Building Committee (SBC) was established in 2023 by Mayor Charlie Sisitsky’s Executive Order #2023-003 and a vote by the Framingham School Committee. The SBC’s mission is to advise and support the design and construction of the school, oversee the project budget and schedule, and coordinate with City agencies and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) through the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and Designer. The Building Committee is also responsible for outreach to school district staff, families, and community members and informing the public about the project’s overall progress during each specific phase of building development. The Building Committee serves for the duration of the project - from the Feasibility Design Phase through construction. For more information about the School Building Committee including meeting minutes, videos, documents, and members, visit the School Building Project page at https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/56060_3.

To view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the Hemenway Project, visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16cTbwrTaWUzORhFRqBOEAJa-78DLykhuTJz-DBrTGbQ/edit?usp=sharing