HUDSON – The new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility project officially has a general contractor.
At its April 8 meeting, the Select Board approved a contract with Castagna Construction of Danvers, to be the general contractor for $19,977,000.
DPW Director Eric Ryder shared the details of the contract. He said the DPW facility project came in at “just over $23 million,” including the owner’s project manager (OPM) design services and the architect for the project.
The architect carried permitting within his work, but Ryder explained that he had not understood that the town was not paying for permits for the project. Because it is a town project, Hudson will not “pay permits” on its own project.
RELATED CONTENT: Hudson DPW facility plans head to Planning Board
“So those funds that are captured here — roughly it’s about 10% of the project value — those will be rolled back into the project that is included in that $19,977,000 number,” said Ryder.
They will have a funding number for contingency, and Ryder said that they “will stay within the budget.” He noted the $19.9 million covers the general contractor and all sub-bids like electrical, plumbing, HVAC, metal materials roofing and site work.
Out of the 98 subcontractors who completed prequalification work in January 2024, the town received 60 bid responses. For the general contractors, eight did prequalification work, and two put in bids.
Ryder said, “There is a lot of work out there right now, speaking with the OPM.”
He said the project falls into the middle range in terms of cost. So, if a contractor had a $30 to $40 million project that “filled them up for the year,” that was the reason the town only ended up with two general contractors.
“We feel that is a good bid. The OPM has worked with [the contractors] in the past,” said Ryder. “[The OPM does] feel they’re going to bring the project in. We’ll have a nice building, all said and done.”
Other Hudson news
In related news, the board voted to approve a contract for $632,157.90 with Massachusetts Broken Stone Company for the milling and overlay of two town projects, one for Elm Drive and Cox, Florence, Green and Maple streets and another for Laurel Drive, Belleview Street, Feltonville and Princeton roads and Giasson and Maple streets.
For more information on the specific areas, visit www.townofhudson.org/department-public-works/pages/capital-and-town-projects.
Ryder said work on Cox Street is going to be finished as they were waiting for the gas company to complete their work.
“That’ll start depending on weather,” he said.
Select Board Chair Scott Duplisea asked about Eversource starting work on Forest Avenue, and Ryder said they would be working from Marlborough Road to Hudson Light to remove the old duct bank, or a protected pathway for buried electrical cables, which are housed in PVC pipes. The duct bank was the property of Hudson Light and Power, and Eversource will install a new bank.
Duplisea said, “If anybody’s questioning what those big giant round spools are that have been coming into town,” it was the cable for the duct bank work.
Once the project is complete, Ryder said they would let the trenches settle, and Eversource will be responsible for working with the town to mill and pave Forest Avenue. The paving will be “curb to curb,” he noted.
He added, “We’ll use some town funds to complete some of those sections that are outside of their work limit, but we’ll work closely with them to make sure the project is completed.”
The board also appointed Frank Ramsbottom as interim building commissioner with an effective start date of April 8.
Select Board Clerk Judy Congdon asked if he would be working in an on-call capacity as Ramsbottom also serves the Town of Stow full time, which Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory confirmed.
In-person early voting for the May 13 election was approved by the board. It will go from April 29 to May 3 and May 6 to 8 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Town Clerk Joan Wordell said it was “just to make it more convenient to the voters,” as she believed it would be confusing not to have in-person early voting for town election when it is allowed for all state elections.
