Freeport Area approves middle school contracts after OK from Buffalo Township

Published: Thursday, May 29, 2014, 12:46a.m. Updated 6 hours ago

As expected, the Buffalo Township Planning Commission and its supervisors on Wednesday gave Freeport Area School District's $33.1 million middle school building project the green light.

Anticipating the township's approval, the Freeport Area School Board awarded $27.6 million in contracts for the project Wednesday.

Massaro Construction was given the general construction contract.

The school is being built behind the Freeport Area High School off South Pike Road (Route 356) in Buffalo Township. It will house about 500 students in grades 6 to 8.

Groundbreaking is expected in mid-June, and the district hopes to open the school in fall 2015.

Project architect HHSDR Architects Engineers and its contractors have been working with Buffalo Township's planning commission and engineer since December in an effort to resolve stormwater plan deficiencies and correct numerous items that did not meet township ordinances.

They met our ordinances; that's all we wanted them to do from the beginning, said planning commission chairwoman Regan Cordier.

Issues that had been sticking points for months were resolved in a few weeks after the planning commission on May 7 delayed forwarding a decision onto supervisors mainly due to problems with the site's stormwater management plan.

Someone must have had an epiphany to get everything done, said Supervisor John Haven.

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Freeport Area approves middle school contracts after OK from Buffalo Township