Groundbreaking Held for Connecticut Middle School

By Lisa Kopochinski

GROTON, Conn. — A recent groundbreaking celebration for the new $66 million Groton Middle School was attended by state and local officials, school administrators, teachers, project leaders, and community members in Groton on April 23, 2019.

Constructed by O&G Industries (O&G),and designed by the S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM). the estimated completion date for the 155,000 square foot project is summer 2020.

O&G, which is headquartered in Torrington, Conn., is a general contractor, construction manager, design/builder and specialty subcontractor with nearly 100 years of experience in commercial building, power plant, road and bridge and site construction. The company serves clients in educational, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, power and municipal markets throughout the U.S.

SLAM is a national, fully-integrated, multi-disciplinary architecture firm offering architecture, planning, interior design, landscape architecture and site planning, structural engineering and construction services that focuses on higher education, K-12 public/private education, healthcare and corporate market sectors. SLAM has offices Glastonbury, Conn., as well as in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and Syracuse.

SLAM has completed programming, design, documentation, interior design, structural engineering, and cost estimating services for the school. Consulting Engineering Services, Inc. will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, while Milone & MacBroom will provide site design and engineering. Guillen Technology Consultants (GTC) will provide AV/IT and security.

The new school launches the first of three projects in the Groton 2020 School Improvement Plan that will consolidate the middle school level, permitting the two existing middle schools to be repurposed as elementary schools.

Construction of Groton Middle School began in April on vacant land immediately north of the existing Fitch High School, forming a middle/high school campus.