The Town Hall Renovation project has been waiting for the bids from subcontractors so selections can be made for the ones to work under builder Gilbane. Gilbane, previously selected by the Town as Construction Manager at Risk (CMR), would then be able to submit the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the project. Suffield Facilities Manager Chris Matejek advised that the bids were received on May 13. There were competitive bids for some parts of the project, and a number of “add alternates” in details of the work. Gilbane and the Permanent Building Committee will review the bids jointly, but Gilbane, as CMR, must make the final decisions for the GMP, which Matejek hopes will arrive by the first week of June.
It’s clear that the GMP will be more than is available for the project from what now remains of the $5.13 million appropriated by Town vote in 2015, which has been depleted by expenditures for studies of possible new buildings and for preparing the construction drawings for the renovations that were finally decided. First Selectman Melissa Mack has said that about $1.0 million is available from unspent funds from several completed projects, which a Town vote can redirect. The Town will then be asked to appropriate the needed remainder and the bonding to be used for the work, which is considered a capital project. The CMR mode of contract was chosen, as Selectman Mack has said she wants to go to the Town for the needed funds only once.
No new changes in the proposed locations of Town staff have been announced, either for the “swing space” needed when the present occupants of the Town Hall must evacuate for the work or for the final space assignments when the building is reoccupied. The previous possibility of relocating Parks & Rec or any other department to the house at Sunrise Park has been negated by the decision to hire a new park superintendent, with redefined title and job description, whose pay will be the use of that house.
Matejek commented recently that if the Town Hall work starts in late June, as he hopes, it might be completed by Christmas, as construction projects have been allowed to continue during the Covid-19 emergency.