Project Updates

  • October 2019: Buildings along Greenough and Tappan Streets are demolished.
  • September 2019: Buildings on 111 Cypress Streets are demolished; Construction plans for the Brookline Hills MBTA Station is approved.
  • June 2019: Construction on the BHS Expansion Project begins.
  • March 2019: In the March 27 School Building Committee, Skanska publishes the logistics plan for construction in June 2019.
  • February 2019: ​Skanska publishes preliminary timeline for demolition/construction process and other logistical planning to the Building Committee.
  • January 2019: Preparation for groundbreaking and demolition in June 2019 has begun, with the development of transition plans for the incoming 9th grade class.
  • September 2018: Building Committee co-chairs Nancy Heller and Susan Wolf Ditkoff formally introduced Skanska, the construction management firm for the expansion project. They will oversee two specific project teams; one focused around the Cypress building, the other on the STEM Building, Tappan Gym, and renovation of the 3rd floor of the main building. 
  • May 2018: In their annual spring meeting, Brookline voters supported a debt exclusion override to fund the expansion and renovation of Brookline High School. This allowed the Building Committee to begin work on the Design Development phase, during which final design, floor plans and architectural drawings will be completed. ​

​Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please check back frequently as we will continue to post new questions and answers. To submit your question, please click here.

What is being done to renovate and expand Brookline High School?
There are three major components to the project: 
  1. Build a new, state of the art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math wing at the corner of Tappan and Greenough Streets, replacing the existing Roberts Wing
  2. Build a new academic building at the corner of Cypress and Tappan Streets that will primarily serve 9th grade students while being fully integrated into the core of BHS campus
  3. Renovate the third floor of the Schluntz Gym wing turning the existing and outdated science labs into modern, full sized classrooms
Other improvements and upgrades will take place at the Tappan Gym, Kirrane Pool and at Cypress Field.

​​What is the basic timeline for completion of the major work? 
Skanska has developed a preliminary timeline for the project and presented this to the BHS Building Committee in late February. Important milestones include:
  • Demolition of Roberts Wing and 111 Cypress expected to begin in late June 2019.
    • Between June 2019 and September 2019, Skanska will prepare the Roberts Wing at the corner of Tappan and Greenough for demolition by building a new utility tunnel, relocating utility services, relocating walkways, installing safety and wayfinding signage, and constructing safety barriers. Demolition will begin in mid-September and go through October.
    • Preparation for demolition of the building located at 111 Cypress Street will begin in June 2019 and demolition of that building will being in July 2019. ​
  • The Science Center should be ready for classes during the Spring Term of the 2020/2021 school year.
  • New construction at 111 Cypress is planned to begin September 2019. New construction for the new STEM addition is planned to begin November 2019. Expected occupancy of the new building at 111 Cypress is June 2021.
  • Tappan Gym and Kirrane Pool remain in service for bulk of project while improvements are being made.
  • The reconstruction of the 3rd floor science classrooms should be completed for the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year.

How will the expansion project affect BHS students?​
During construction, the school will lose full access to some parts of the high school campus. This includes the existing wing at the corner of Tappan and Greenough, which will be demolished over Summer 2019 to make way for our new science wing. This demolition will reduce the number of classrooms at the main campus for the duration of the construction period.

In order to continue serving over 2,000 students enrolled at Brookline High, the district will use the Old Lincoln School at 194 Boylston for the 9th grade class during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Learn more about the upcoming 9th grade transition at OLS.

What is happening with onsite while students are still in school and all spaces need to be used?
May 1 - June 3: There will be ongoing site investigations, exploration, and meetings. The project team is currently evaluating a request to begin in May instead of June, in an attempt to begin building demolition in August instead of September. 

​June 3 - June 20: Preparation for demolition as described above will begin. Site mobilization will begin in June. Site mobilization includes the installation of perimeter fencing at both the 111 Cypress Building and the STEM building addition; installation of safety and wayfinding signage; and the reconfiguration of pedestrian crosswalks to avoid construction areas. 

June 20 onwards: Roberts Wing and 111 Cypress demolition will begin. Bulk demolition will be complete with load-out of demolished materials ongoing. STEM building addition utility tunnel construction will be completed and enabling MEP work will continue. Roberts Wing bulk demolition will commence.

​Why does BHS have to be expanded?
Brookline High School has expanded by more than 250 students in the last five years, which is a 15% growth. Already at capacity, the school is projected to increase to an additional 300 to 500 students in the next five years and create  additional burden on already inadequate facilities. This renovation and expansion will create sufficient learning spaces and classrooms to the 9th-12th grade class and provide a modern, collaborative educational experience that all Brookline students deserve.

​Is the high school using the expansion as an opportunity to adjust and improve its educational program?
Definitely! While the BHS program is very, very strong, we realize that education evolves, students evolve, technology evolves, Brookline evolves, and so will the high school. The focus of the high school’s plan is to more deeply engage students by allowing for more interdisciplinary study, provide every student the support needed to be succeed, and ensure all students have equitable access to high quality courses, activities, and opportunities. You can find a full statement of Brookline’s vision for what education will be like in the coming years at Brookline High School in the BHS Education Plan.

​How are parents and community members involved in the process?
The building committee regularly holds public meetings that typically include an update on recent progress and allow for Q&A with those attending. Community members are not only welcome, but encouraged to attend public meetings in order to become informed and provide input. Community members are invited to participate in the process by attending Building Committee Meetings, participating in Community Meetings, contacting Building Committee members and School Committee Members, subscribing to our mailing list and submitting input online.

How will students be kept safe during demolition and construction of the Roberts Wing?
Demolition and construction areas will be completely barricaded from student or public access. Plywood or drywall walls lined with plastic and sealed with heavy tape will prevent access of people and dust between the construction area and the school interior areas. Fences will barricade the exterior construction area from the public. Exterior dust will be contained within the fence by water sprays. Restricted access zones, walkways with overhead scaffold protection, and selective off-hours work will be implemented.

How will students be kept safe when walking from the Greenough building to Tappan with construction happening? ​
Existing pedestrian pathways will be diverted to the opposite side of the streets via crosswalks and signage. Logistics graphics and maps will be posted when they are complete. 

​How will air quality be measured in the high school buildings to ensure that students and staff are safe?
Solid, sealed barricades will be constructed to prevent dust from entering the school from the construction area. Indoor air quality monitors will be used regularly throughout the life of the project to measure indoor air temperature, relative humidity and carbon monoxide presence. Noise monitors will be used for noise decibel monitoring during loud construction activities.

If any problems or concerns regarding air quality arises, ​Skanska will shut down the work, clean the area, find the cause and correct it. Skanska and the project team will debrief with school personnel prior to re-starting work.

How will air quality be monitored in the neighborhood around the construction sites? 
Skanska will implement strict controls over truck idling, deliveries, excavation, covering of stockpiles, screen netting on fencing, and wetting of excavated areas. We will use hand held and remote air quality monitors to continually assess the surrounding neighborhood regularly to ensure that dust, smells and noise do not have a negative environmental or health impact. The remote monitoring devices will send alarm signals automatically to Skanska staff of any potential air quality issues.

How will deliveries of building materials happen? 
Skanska met with personnel from the Town of Brookline’s public safety and school departments for guidance and input on timing and route restrictions. Using this input, truck routes and time restrictions are established on Greenough Street to minimize negative impacts. Police details will assist with deliveries from public ways to the construction site.

​Where will the bike racks that are outside the Roberts Wing be during construction?
​ Bike racks will be relocated temporarily to a location determined by the high school and school department.

​How will traffic flow around both the 115 Greenough campus?
​Sidewalks will be closed and existing pedestrian pathways will be diverted. Construction deliveries will be scheduled for non-peak student arrival and discharge. Logistics graphics and maps will be posted when they are complete. 

​How will the demolition of 111 Cypress and the construction of the building affect the MBTA station operation?
​Safe public access to the platform area will be maintained during construction of the building. The reconstruction of the platform will occur simultaneously with the new 111 Cypress building timeline indicated above.

How will the building project be sustainable?
Click here to review documents relating to the project's sustainability measures and goals on each aspect of the building project.

What will happen with construction during Final Exams Week?
Construction will be suspended during Final Exam Days on Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19.