Lowell City Council Approves $36.2 Million High School Loan Order in 9-1 Vote

LOWELL — January 20, 2026 — Lowell City Council votes 9-1 to borrow $36.2 million more for Lowell High School renovation as structural concerns linger. The council approved the loan order amendment at its January 20 meeting, bringing total authorized borrowing for the project to more than $418 million. CFO Sean Baldwin detailed three cost reductions from the original December request of $39.8 million: a roughly $200,000 Skanska fee cut, a roughly $214,000 Perkins Eastman reduction, and a $3.25 million contingency trim, leaving $11.5 million in reserve. Suffolk Construction did not contribute to reductions in this round. The vote came hours after lead owner's project manager Kevin Kane told councillors a structural condition had been identified in the building's 1892 Colburn Hall wing, with an engineering assessment due by week's end. Councillor Corey Robinson voted no, saying the council should wait for a firm cost figure: "I don't see how we're sitting here to take a vote for a dollar amount of this magnitude." Multiple other councillors voted yes while warning the project team they would refuse any future request. CFO Baldwin confirmed the estimated tax impact for the average single-family home is approximately $72 per year over a 30-year bond repayment period, and that the increase is perpetual.