Asbestos no more: Stratford awards contract for senior center renovations
STRATFORD — Make hay while the sun shines. Strike while the iron is hot. Renovate the senior center if it’s closed during a pandemic.
That’s the logic of the Town Council, which voted unanimously this week to award a $642,000 contract to Milford-based Olympus Construction for new lights, paint, flooring and asbestos abatement at the Baldwin Center on West Broad Street.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the building — which usually buzzes with programs for Stratford seniors and other town events — to remain closed to the public.
Staff is available during business hours, and there are several programs monthly hosted via Zoom.
The property on West Broad Street has also been used for special events like a drive-through breakfast on Veterans Day.
The work is part of improvements totaling more than $1 million to the 35,000-square-foot building that dates to 1979, according to land records.
Other recent upgrades include a new heating system and refurbishment of the elevator in the building.
Finance Director Dawn Savo said the town had $476,605 available from previously budgeted funds for work at the Baldwin Center, with another $350,000 to come from community development block grants.
Town Council Chairman Chris Pia, R-1, said the timing was right to get the work done.
“It’s an ongoing project,” Pia said. “I think it’s smart that we’re getting this done in light of what’s going on with the pandemic. The senior population can’t use the building right now so I think it’s good that we get a lot of this work done right now.”
In addition to lights, paint and flooring, the work will also include new bathroom partitions, electrical upgrades and other miscellaneous alterations.
A construction schedule for the project calls for work to begin Feb. 1 and be finished by April 30.