Lowell, MA When Lowell High School teachers and students returned to school from summer vacation August 27, they walked onto a transformed campus. Visible to everyone was the new five-story Freshman Academy, Phase 2 of a four-phase project led by construction manager Suffolk to modernize and expand the school. Less obvious to those who teach and learn in the school every day were the significant challenges the project team had to address to deliver the freshman building on an accelerated schedule in time for the first day of school.
Work on the Lowell High School project began in November 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. For builders, COVID caused major supply chain delays that threatened to derail the build schedule. Yet despite these unexpected hurdles, the Suffolk-led project team was able to complete construction of Phase 1 of the project – the athletic center – and complete Phase 2 on schedule.
Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the project will include renovations of two existing buildings and replacement of the existing enclosed pedestrian bridges. Phase 3 is already well under way.
The new school will be the largest in the city’s history and the second-largest high school in Massachusetts. The school will also be among the largest projects ever supported by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
The $381 million project encompasses 622,777 s/f and is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2026-2027 academic year. The new school will serve 3,520 students in grades 9-12.
The new school building will provide students a unique 21st century learning environment that will also acknowledge the history of the city.
