Pembroke Public Safety Building Project Progresses Within Budget
Auxiliary Building Options Under Consideration as Design Phase Nears Completion
PEMBROKE - December 4 - The Pembroke Public Safety Building Committee reports the project is on schedule and within budget as it enters the final stages of design. At a recent select board meeting, Allyson Mahar of Vertex Companies LLC, the owner's project manager, provided an update on the project's status.
Design development documents are complete, and the project has received Historic Commission approval. The design team is currently working on the 60% construction document coordination set, with bid documents expected to be ready by the end of March for an April bidding process.
"We're 51,000 to the good," Mahar reported, indicating the project maintains a surplus. Contingencies are in place, with a 4.5% construction contingency and a 1.75% owner's project contingency.
The main building's size has been reduced by approximately 1,500 square feet from earlier plans, a result of value engineering efforts to keep the project within budget. Despite this reduction, officials assert that no significant programmatic changes have been made.
An auxiliary building, planned at 4,000 square feet, is currently slated to be bid as an alternate. This approach allows for its inclusion if bids come in favorably.
"We're hoping to include that in the project. Maybe if new bids come in, we'll be able to accept that as an alternate," Mahar explained.
The committee is exploring options for this auxiliary structure. Discussions included the possibility of a heated parking and storage facility versus an open structure, similar to those used in other municipalities.
Daniel Trabucco suggested, "Do we have an alternate A and an alternate B? So a heated parking and storage facility versus a wide open one, like they have in Norwell?"
This proposal aims to provide flexibility in case of budget constraints while still meeting departmental needs. However, state statutes may limit how alternates can be structured in the bidding process.
The project team is also addressing site-specific challenges. Changes to the building's design, including flattening previously stepped areas and relocating septic systems, have resulted in cost savings.
"We have flat buildings. In the sense that there aren't steps between the buildings anywhere. They're level on both of our sites," Town Administrator Bill Chenard noted. "The site work that was required before is a substantial savings when you look at it."
Parking spaces have increased to 130, slightly more than previously planned. The fire substation on Monroe and School Street remains part of the project scope.
Questions arose about the inclusion of solar infrastructure. While Massachusetts building codes require new construction to be solar-ready, the extent of pre-installed wiring for potential future solar installations was unclear.
The discussion emphasized the importance of moving forward with the current design. "I think it's time to lock down the buildings and move forward," Chenard stated.
The project team plans to begin the pre-qualification process for general contractors and subcontractors in January. This step is crucial in ensuring qualified firms are selected for the bidding process in April.
In other town news, several events are coming up:
- A "Fill the Cruiser" toy drive on Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 80 Center Street
- The town tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 7, starting with the Veterans Tree ceremony at 2 p.m. and the main tree lighting at 4:45 p.m.
- The Winter Lights road race on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m., beginning and ending at the community center.