HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-04-01 ad Hoc Police Station Building Committee Final ReportFinal Report of The Reading Police Station Building Committee - Aril 20t~0
To: The Reading Board of Selectmen and Reading Town Meeting 10: 2 1
With the recent dedication of the new Reading Police Station on April 8, 2000, it is tempting to say as a
final report, "The station is now complete and occupied," and leave it at that. However, for the record,
something more seems warranted, and therefore, the Committee submits this report as a brief summary
of the steps in the process, and acknowledgments to those who made it possible.
The Board of Selectmen, in July of 1997, established a committee to advise them in the selection of an
architect for the proposed new Police Station, and to monitor and report the progress of construction.
The committee consisted of nine members with representatives from the local neighborhood, downtown
area, Selectmen, Finance Committee, Police Department and citizens. The committee met during the
summer and in the fall recommended the firm of Donham and Sweeney as the architect. It was further
decided to retain a project manager to oversee the construction as the Town's representative.
Accordingly Daedalus Projects, Inc. was hired in that capacity. Plans were prepared and presented to
Town Meeting in March '98 for a 21,270 sq. ft. building with an estimated total program cost of $4.4
million, and an anticipated completion date of Dec.'99. Following Town Meeting approval, construction
plans were completed, the project was bid with a low bid of $3,679,292 by G&S Construction. Work
commenced in Dec. '98; with completion scheduled for one year later, Dec. '99, as planned.
Shortly after the start and during excavation for the foundation, a significant amount of ledge was
encountered. Rather than resorting to blasting, the rock was laboriously broken out, which caused about
a month's delay. The tolerance shown by the neighbors during this process should be noted, and was
appreciated. Since that time, notwithstanding a sometimes labor shortage due to Boston's "Big Dig", the
project remained largely on schedule consistent with the noted delay. Actual completion and turnover to
the town occurred in late February of this year. It should be noted that construction was finished within
two months of the official Substantial Completion date, which is considered very good for public work.
The cost for the project was $4,459,482. This figure includes an expense of $60,000 for communication
equipment which had not been included in the initial cost breakdown. Such equipment was considered to
be necessary to the new station, and was therefore included in the cost.
Acknowledgment for the successful completion of the new station must go not only to the architect,
Donham and Sweeney, the project manager, Daedalus Projects, but also to the Town of Reading staff
members who participated as well. One of the factors that contributed to coming in on budget was the
small number of change orders. This has to be due to the completeness of the design, and particularly to
the inputs and information given to the designers at the start. A significant amount of prior study had
been done by the previous Police Station Building Committee, which resulted in the Union Street site,
and was thus available to the design process. They too share in the success of this project. Furthermore,
the builder G&S construction, turned out to be an excellent firm to work with. And finally, the input and
guidance provided by the Reading Police Department and the overall supervision provided by the Town
Manager's, office must be recognized.
This, then, is the Final Report of the Police Station Building Committee, to the Reading Board of
Selectmen, and subsequently as an informational report to Reading's Town Meeting.
Police Station Building Committee: Chief Edward Marchand
Paul C. Dustin, Chairman Robert A. Cavagnaro Richard McDonald
William F. Lavoie, Vice Chairman Louis E. De Brigard, Jr. John H. Russell
Sgt. James W. Cormier Bryan J. Irwin Eric Jason C. Smith