QA+M Architecture
Capital Projects, RFPs & Bids
In This Section
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Address:
230C Mountain Road
Suffield, CT 06078
Current RFPs & Bids
Town Hall
Revised June 24, 2020
First Selectman Column
July 2020, The Suffield Observer (abbreviated)
After recent difficult months, I am delighted to share great news! The Town Hall project will break ground in July, at a total cost of $5.108M. This is a remarkable $1.3M savings versus the $6.4M estimated in February 2020 and within the $5.130M approved by voters in 2015. Due to the comprehensive pre-construction due diligence undertaken over the last few years, the renovation and one-story addition will not proceed in the usual “Band-Aid” fashion. While this approach runs counter to many of the Town’s previous projects, I am confident it will ultimately yield a better outcome. Project timetable reflects a December 25, 2020 completion date.
Highlights
- Of three options presented by the construction manager in February 2020, the option selected represents the one all stakeholders recommended – not the “Band-Aid,” nor the “Taj Mahal” options.
- Current pricing is not an estimate but rather a result of the competitive bid process, which I fervently insisted upon to provide a clear understanding of actual costs prior to potentially asking taxpayers for more money.
- Due diligence included multiple studies and reports addressing and fixing root building problems-- not simply covering unresolved issues. Studies included moisture investigation, hazardous materials inspection, indoor quality survey and an asbestos report.
- Upon completion, all Town employees will be located in Town-owned buildings resulting in annual savings of nearly $125,000 inclusive of 230C Mountain Road rent, carrying/maintenance costs, and regained real and personal property tax. Admittedly, I’d prefer all Town employees in the same building, but relent in this regard given the expense to do so.
Lessons Learned
Given the Town’s recent experience with Kent Memorial Library, this project includes the following safeguards.
- Over $900,000 in healthy contingencies to protect against reasonably unforeseen circumstances.
- Closely monitored budget and contingency via regularly scheduled meetings among First Selectman, Facilities Manager, Finance Director, and Gilbane Project Manager.
- Additional oversight of construction process by Permanent Building Commission.
- Critical assessment of contract to ensure adequate protection of the Town’s interests. At its June 10th regular meeting, the Board of Selectmen tabled acceptance of the Guaranteed Maximum Price until a special meeting on June 23rd to allow construction counsel additional review.
Arriving at this juncture has been no small feat. I appreciate the patience and support of our residents and thank the many who collaborated successfully to move this project forward including the Permanent Building Commission, Boards of Selectmen and Finance; all Town employees and especially Public Works, Building Department; our construction partners at QA+M architects, Gilbane Building Company and edm architects.
Project Details
Guaranteed Maximum Price: $5,107,923
Estimated Start Date: July 2020
Estimated Completion Date: December 25, 2020
Project Management: Gilbane Building Company
Architect: QA+M Architecture
Approvals
- Referendum 10-8-2015
- Project Budget: $5,130,000
- 1,463 Yes
- 784 No
- 2,264 Vote = 29% Turnout
- Town Meeting 9-2-2015
- Resolution 8-19-2015
Budget
Budget Details
Construction Costs (Guaranteed Maximum Price) |
$4,435,483 |
Soft Costs | $672,440 |
Total Project Costs (Construction + Soft Costs) |
$5,107,923 |
Approved at Referendum | $5,130,000 |
Project Funding History
Original Addition/Renovation Estimate | $4,436,032 | 6-10-2015 |
New Vault Estimate | $250,000 | 7-27-2015 |
Original Total Project Estimate | $4,750,000 | 7-27-2015 |
Appropriated Funds Capital Project | $2,060,000 | FY2011-2015 |
Transferred to SHS Fire Pump Shortfall | -$175,942 | 9-29-2011 |
Transferred to Library Shortfall | -$966,394 | 12-4-2014 |
Town Hall Project Expenditures | -$123,558 | FY2012-2016 |
Remaining Appropriation | $794,106 | |
Bond Authorization | $4,385,000 | 10-8-2015 |
Above Appropriation/Transfer from CNR Fund = Non Bonded Portion | +$745,000 | 10-8-2015 |
Approved Budget at Referendum | $5,130,000 | 10-8-2015 |
Plans & Costs
Plan Iterations
Date | Details | Plans | Sq Ft | Cost (M) |
Cost Estimate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Final | Renovation & 1 Story Addition |
QA+M | 12,407 | $5.1 | |
Feb 2020 |
Renovation & 1 Story Addition |
QA+M | 12,407 |
|
|
Feb 2020 |
Renovation & 1 Story Addition Added Scope |
QA+M | 12,407 | $7.04 | |
Feb 2020 |
Renovation & 1 Story Addition Added Scope |
QA+M | 12,407 | $5.80 | |
Jan 2020 |
Renovation & 1 Story Addition |
$5.1 | Gilbane | ||
Aug 2019 |
Renovation & 1 Story Addition QA+M Submission |
QA+M | 12,407 | $4.50 $4.22* *with alternates |
Gilbane |
Oct 2018 |
Purchase & Retrofit 230C | Briarwood | 22,254 | $4.25 | |
Sept 2018 |
Renovation & Addition No Rental |
17,579 | $8.76 | DGJones | |
Sept 2018 |
New Build on Annex Site | edm | 14,190 | $10.74 | DGJones |
Sept 2018 |
New Build in Front of Existing Town Hall |
edm | 15,978 | $11.20 | DGJones |
Jul 2018 |
New Build in Front of Existing Town Hall |
edm | 15,978 | $10.43 | DGJones |
Jul 2018 |
*Revised May 2018 (value-engineered) | edm | 17,579 | $8.17 | DGJones |
May 2018 |
*Revised Dec 2017 (more efficient) | edm |
17,579 | $8.88 | DGJones |
Jan 2018 |
HVAC & Sprinkler Reno Only | 12,202 | $5.1 | DGJones | |
Dec 2017 |
*1 Story Addition + Rental | edm | 16,437 | $9.58 | DGJones |
Oct 2017 |
2 Story Addition No Rental |
edm | 19,291 | $10.98 | DGJones |
Jun 2017 |
2 Story Addition No Rental |
19,291 | $6.87 | DGJones (Construction Only) |
|
Sept 2016 |
Reno & 2 Story Addition | edm | 17,300 | $8.83 | Gilbane |
Aug 2016 |
Estimate with Larger Addition | 17,981 | $6.14 | DGJones | |
Jun 2015 |
Reno & 2 Story Addition |
11,960 | $4.44M | Gilbane |
Reports
Space Needs Studies
- edm Space Planning Update Additional Scope 8-2-2017
- edm Space Planning Update 8-19-2016
- edm Space Needs Study 12-9-2005
Environmental Reports
- Building Science Corporation Moisture Investigation Report 3-13-2019
- ATC Hazardous Materials Inspection Report 3-25-2016
- TRC Environmental Corporation Indoor Quality Survey Report 9-16-2015
- TRC Environmental Corporation Asbestos Report 2014
- TRC Environmental Corporation Asbestos, Lead Based Paint and Regulated Materials Abatement Costs 2-8-2011
Vault Reports
- Suffield Town Clerk Vault Inspection Findings 7-30-2014
- Guidelines for Vault Size for Storage of Municipal Records
(from the Office of the Public Records Administrator)- Suffield Current Population:
16,601 (CERC 2020)
-1,909 ( CT Dept. of Corrections Feb. 2020)
14,692 Population - Prison
- Suffield Current Population:
- Standard for Fire-Resistive Vaults and Safes
(from Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Sec. 11-8)
Other
RFPs & Contracts
Presentations
Q&A
- Question Submission Form
- What documents are maintained in the Town Clerk's vault?
- Why was the Town able to move forward with Town Hall but not the Bridge Street School Community Center?
Question Submission Form
What documents are maintained in the Town Clerk's vault?
- Survey and subdivision maps (mylar that generally is 24x36 as set by CT General Statute)
- All board and commission minutes
- All vital records (Birth, Death, Marriage) (including the Prison)
- Burial records, cemetery plot deeds, perpetual care, sexton reports
- Historic and genealogy records
- Copies of Town Annual Reports from inception
- Assessor Grand Lists (must be kept indefinitely) 1920 to date given to the State Library to house
- Auditable Tax and Sewer Use Bills (traded out each year)
- All trade name certificates that are filed
- Election records and reports
- DD2 14 all military records
- Flood plan maps
- Logs of all sworn in to boards and commissions
Why was the Town able to move forward with Town Hall but not the Bridge Street School Community Center?
Town Hall differs from the Bridge Street School Community Center in that $745,000 non bonded dollars were allocated by the Town in 2015 towards the project (see Town Hall Project Funding History). This crucial "due diligence money" enabled space needs studies, environmental reports, scope/design options and ultimately cost estimates to determine the project’s actual price (guaranteed maximum price) before breaking ground.
Unfortunately, much of this due diligence should have been done PRIOR to asking residents to vote on Town Hall. When it comes to capital projects, the Town of Suffield has historically been “Penny wise and pound foolish” with a tendency to put the proverbial horse before the cart. This has inevitably led to frustration and heartbreak, most recently with Suffield High School, Kent Memorial Library and the Bridge Street School Community Center.
In future, all capital projects MUST include such an appropriation at the onset so that voters are given the best possible information before being asked to make an informed vote on large capital projects.
Updates & Photos
Current
For video walk, click on orange circles to view site and floor plans.
Weekly Update with Photos 1-18-2021
Weekly Archives
For video walk, click on orange circles to view site and floor plans
- Weekly Update with Photos 9-7-2020
- Exterior Video Walk
- Basement Level Video Walk
- Ground Level Video Walk
- Upper Level Video Walk
Video still processing
- Weekly Update with Photos 8-17-2020
- Exterior Video Walk
(Interior video walks will be included again once abatement complete)
- Exterior Video Walk
Pre-Renovation
Bridge Street School
February 5, 2020
Update to First Selectman Column
November 2019, The Suffield Observer
In our Fall 2019 review of Town properties, our insurer (CIRMA) informed us that it may no longer cover the vacant Bridge Street School (BSS) based on its current state. Despite the Town’s efforts to heat the inside of the building with space heaters over the last several years and hiring a roofing contractor to mitigate roof leaks in 2018, pictures posted on the Town’s website show a blighted building permeated by black mold, crumbling asbestos, peeling lead paint and collapsing ceilings from over fifteen years of deterioration. Thereafter, on September 27, 2019, the Town of Suffield Building Official provided the Town with a Notice of Unsafe Structure and Order to immediately vacate the structure and make plans to either remediate the serious health hazards within the building or demolish it in accordance with the state demolition code. The building was posted and is unsafe to enter for any reason.
1,176 residents voted by referendum to appropriate $8.4M to convert the BSS into a community center and authorized the issuance of no more than $8.4M in debt to finance the project in October 2015. The vote was not a mandate to do the project at any cost, but a permissive authorization to do the project if it complied in scope and dollar amount with the information presented by the Bridge Street School Ad Hoc Committee (BSSAHC) to the public, and the legal bond authorization upon which the residents relied to cast their votes.
Read more
Approvals
- Referendum, Rescind BSSCC Approval & Bond Resolution 2-25-2020
- 899 Yes
- 831 No
- Legal Opinion, Rescission of BSSCC 7-12-2019
- Referendum, BSSCC Appropriation & Bond Resolution 10-8-2015
- 1,176 Yes
- 1,076 No
- 2,264 Voted = 29% turnout
- Town Meeting Minutes 9-2-2015
- Town Meeting Agenda, including Resolutions 9-2-2015
Documents
- Town Meeting Presentation 2-20-2020
- Includes Procedural History of Project since 2015
- First Selectman Update to Board of Selectmen 10-16-2019
- Includes Procedural History of Project since 2015
- BOS Recorded Meeting 10-16-2019
- First Selectman Update to Board of Selectmen 9-13-2017
- FS not authorized to sign contract or advance bond proceeds because conditions not met
- Gilbane Conceptual Estimate 9-22-2016
- $9.9M estimated
- $300,000 estimated for abatement (see p.2)
- ATC Hazardous Materials Inspection Report 3-16-2016
- Silver Petrucelli Design 1-2015
- Ad-Hoc Committee Business Plan 2-13-2015
- $8.35M estimated
- Hazmat "Assumed by Owner"
- $0 in allowance for abatement
RFPs
Conceptual Design Development of BSS Area
BSS RFP Demo & Abatement
- Construction Manager at Risk 7-18-2017
- Scope included abatement
- Abatement 6-21-2016
Demolition?
Q&A
Press Release Regarding Clarification of February 25, 2020 Referendum Questions
Updated Questions
Q: Did the Board of Finance approve the $450,000 appropriation for BSSCC?
A: At the February 10, 2020 BOF Meeting, the members did not approve the appropriation in a unanimous vote.
Q: What will be on the February 25, 2020 Referendum that relates to the Bridge Street School Community Center?
a. Shall the Town rescind approval of Bridge Street School Community Center project and bond resolution entitled, “RESOLUTION TO APPROPRIATE $8,400,000 FOR RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO BRIDGE STREET SCHOOL FOR CONVERSION TO A TOWN COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER AND TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUE OF BONDS, NOTES OR TEMPORARY NOTES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $8,400,000 TO FINANCE SAID APPROPRIATION” ? Yes/No
Q: Why does this need to be decided now?
A: Because on September 27, 2019 the Building Official issued a Notice of Unsafe Structure stating: "Pursuant to State Building Code §116, you are hereby ordered to immediately vacate the structure and make plans to either remediate the serious health hazards within the building or demolish it in accordance with the State Demolition Code. The Building was posted and is unsafe to enter for any reason."
Questions prior to February 10, 2020 Board of Finance Meeting
Q: What will be on the February 25, 2020 Referendum that relates to the Bridge Street Community Center?
A: It depends on if the Board of Finance approves the following agenda item at their February 10, 2020 Meeting: "Shall the Town of Suffield appropriate up to $450,000 to obtain the actual price to complete the Bridge Street School Community Center renovation project? Yes/No"
Q: If the Board of Finance votes yes, what are the next steps?
A: The Board of Selectmen will decide if a vote will be taken on the question at the February 20, 2020 Town Meeting or sent directly to the adjourned Town Meeting on February 25, 2020.
Q: If the question is approved at the Town Meeting/Referendum, what does that mean?
A: If passed, the question requires that the Town appropriate up to $450,000 in order to obtain a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) to renovate the Bridge Street School Community Center project as approved in 2015.
Q: What happens if the GMP exceeds the $8.4M approved at the 2015 Referendum?
A: The project will not move forward unless the Town appropriates additional funds through the budget process or Town Meeting/Referendum process.
Photos
Facilities Master Plan
In collaboration with Suffield Public Schools, the Town issued an RFP for a Municipal Facilities Master Plan in November 2020 with Tecton Architects ultimately selected to complete the work. The Plan seeks to establish a priority, schedule, and budget for most effective use; modernization, replacement, or expansion that will create a framework for the Town’s Capital Plan for the next ten years.
Pedestrian,Traffic Safety
The Board of Selectmen formed the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and Infrastructure Committee on December 16, 2020 with the following charge:
"To evaluate and make recommendations to the Board of Selecmen addressing pedestrian and traffic safety and infrastructure needs town-wide in a comprehensive way that will allow the Town to plan for expenditures and other actions."
Resources
RFP for Consulting Engineer
Streetlights
The town approved purchase of approximately 700 streetlights in place of its current lease agreement with Eversource. In addition, the streetlights will be converted to Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures resulting in cost-saving energy efficiency and improved light quality for greater public safety. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020.
For questions, contact Chris Matejek, Facilities Manager
Report an Outage
- Report online
- Call center open 24/7
- Emergency reports must be reported via call center to avoid response delays
Presentations
- Town Meeting Presentation 2-20-2020
- Streetlight resolution passed
a. Approval of the purchase and retrofit of streetlights for an amount not to exceed $700,000 and the resolution entitled “Resolution Authorizing an Appropriation Of $700,000 For The Street Lighting Project and the Financing Of Said Appropriation By the Issuance Of General Obligation Bonds Of The Town and Notes In Anticipation Of Such Bonds In An Amount Not To Exceed $700,000.”