Officials Heartened By

Town Hall Prebid Meeting Crowd

By John Voket

Several of the nearly 20 contractors and trades representatives oohed and aahed as they passed through a doorway into the cavernous entryway to Newtown’s future town hall.

Scurrying around taking measurements and digital photos, most of the representatives who turned out for a prebid meeting on the protracted government center project seemed excited about the prospect of showcasing their companies’ various talents on the virtually blank canvas that is the former Bridgeport Hall at Fairfield Hills.

Led by Jerry Waters, lead architect on the project from Tai Soo Kim Partners, First Selectman Joe Borst, and Public Works Director Fred Hurley, the phalanx slowly moved through the building, occasionally asking questions about the heating and air conditioning ductwork, electrical service, and structural modifications that might be required to transform the blueprints and renderings into a fully functional facility.

Gathering outside the building, Mr Waters and Brian Holmes, a project coordinator for O&G Industries, detailed aspects of the bidding process. Bids on the various aspects of the project are due back Monday, August 25, at 11 am, Mr Holmes told the group.

The projected is expected to be completed by May 2009, he added.

Moving on to exterior details, Mr Holmes pointed out that while a full roof replacement is incorporated as an alternate, some construction will occur to install several dormers along the expansive roof line.

“Obviously we would like to reroof it. If the prices come in well, we will do that,” Mr Holmes said. “So make your alternate bid and we’ll have a nice easy job for you.”

The roof and exterior masonry will also be cleaned and power washed.

Mr Waters reviewed the scope of work, relating the need to remove and lay down new sidewalks. To make the main entrance ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, reinforcing will be done on columns supporting the porch roof, and a ramp will be installed to conform with federal requirements.

He reviewed the specifications for the two vaults that will serve the building.

Mr Waters told the group that both masonry and steel work will be minimal, and the few damaged gutters and resulting wood fascia rotting will be repaired. The foundation will be fully waterproofed, and all existing windows will be restored with thermal paned insulating glass throughout.

Roller shades will be installed on the south and west elevations, he said.

Door frames will be narrowed slightly and fully insulated, and all doors will be replaced with hardware rated according to building codes. The existing freight elevator will be replaced with a smaller unit.

The fire protection system will be state of the art with a combination of wet and dry features; two gas-fired boilers will be installed in the basement that will heat via thin-tube radiation piping. Some supplemental heating will be installed, along with multizoned air conditioning.

The project qualifies for prevailing wage compensation due to some government funding, Mr Waters said. He reassured one bidder that the facility does not fall under any state historical stipulations.

During the walkaround, Mr Waters explained that connecting tunnels that lead into the building will be blocked and backfilled. Following the meeting, Mr Hurley told The Bee that bids for the tunnel work throughout the campus would be presented to the Board of Selectmen on August 18.

Moving to the inside of the building, Mr Waters began in the huge former cafeteria, which will be the new school district space. He described the process of closing in the room with drop ceilings, cubicles and various framed-in private offices.

Several contractors pointed out the pools of standing water as they gingerly moved through the rest of the interior, but seemed unconcerned. Several of the workers made their way into the shadowy basement lit only by light streaming in from one open window portal.

Here, concerns about deeper and more expansive areas of standing water were assuaged by one bidder who said the exterior waterproofing procedures would seal the space from further water invasion.

According to the project timeline, once bids are reviewed and contracts assigned, site work is expected to begin by September 23. Tunnel capping should begin no later than October 1, with site demolition commencing no later than November 17. Various components of the project, including steel work, the HVAC and utilities installations, roofing, window replacement, flooring, and painting, will continue through the winter.

The certificate of occupancy is projected to be delivered on April 29, 2009.