HUDSON – A project to replace the Department of Public Works facility is moving forward.
Town Meeting voted to approve the project in May, and on Sept. 11, the Select Board gave the approval and authorization to sign a contract with Helene Karl Architects Inc. for architectural and design services.
At the Sept. 11 meeting, Chair Scott Duplisea noted the contract is for $1.375 million.
The project calls for the construction of a 43,000-square-foot DPW facility at 1 Municipal Drive with municipal sewer and water, Eversource gas, and power from Hudson Light and Power. The building will include vehicle storage bays, vehicle maintenance bays, a wash bay, administrative offices, a mezzanine and employee facilities.
In a memo to Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory from Department of Public Works Director Eric Ryder, Ryder said three firms submitted qualifications for the project. After a round of interviews with Gannett Flemming, CSS Architects and Helene Karl Architects, Helene Karl was chosen for design services.
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In correspondence from Helene Karl Architects, Vice President Greogry Yanchenko noted that “proper planning and design for this project will ensure its successful completion at minimal cost and with minimal impact on the adjacent public safety buildings and neighbors.”
Yanchenko noted that with the challenges associated with new construction projects, it is critical to have experienced architects and engineers at both the initial planning and subsequent stages of a project.
Construction Monitoring Services will serve as the owner’s project manager (OPM) with a construction budget of $20 million.
The architects will retain Symmes Maini & McKee Associates Inc. as a civil engineer, LIN Associates Inc. as the structural engineer, Seaman Engineering Corp. as the mechanical and plumbing engineer and John Murphy Jr. Electrical Construction & Engineering Inc. for electrical services.
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Ryder planned to meet the following week with the OPM and architects for the project. Within the next two weeks, there will be a meeting of the full building committee.
“We’re going in the right direction,” Ryder said.
The town anticipates the project design to commence this month. The bid documents will be ready for February.
Hudson Rotary donates to fire department
Also during this meeting, the board authorized the signature of a contract with HUB Technical Services in the amount of $182,476 for server infrastructure replacement for the Hudson Police Department.
The Select Board also accepted a donation to the Hudson Fire Department consisting of dewatering equipment — which is used in the case of indoor flooding — from the Hudson Rotary Club. The equipment was valued at approximately $909.
“I just wanted to give the Rotary Club of Hudson a huge shoutout,” said Fire Chief Bryan Johannes. “A couple months ago, they reached out to me for some ideas, and as this year has gone by, I thought we could use, really use, some dewatering equipment to supplement our existing equipment.”
