MOVING FORWARD
City Hall restoration and renovation project moves forward
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Department of Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco recently announced that the Saratoga Springs City Council awarded all contracts for the City Hall restoration and renovation project.
Officials noted that all four prime contracts were awarded in compliance with Wick’s law, which requires multiple contracts for construction disciplines for projects over $500,000.
The four bid categories covered work areas for general construction, electrical, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and plumbing. An amendment to the 2019 capital budget, in the amount of $4,226,700 was also unanimously approved at the July 3rd City Council meeting so the electrical and plumbing bids and contracts could be awarded.
“Resolving decades-old problems and planning fifty years into the future are the goals of this restoration and renovation project. It’s the largest and possibly the most important project the City will undertake in our lifetime and awarding contracts to qualified bidders so that it can move into the construction phase is a great development,” said Scirocco. “I think the public will be pleased with all the improvements in their City Hall.”
“Commissioner Scirocco has used resourcefulness, expertise, and hard work to turn a misfortune into the resolution of multiple issues that have developed in our aging City Hall. Thank you to the Commissioner and this Council for your outstanding teamwork,” added Mayor Meg Kelly.
Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan said, “As last year’s lightning strike occurred in the middle of the budget process, the entire City Council was aware that the initial phase of funding for City Hall’s repair and renovation was based on estimated information of a fluid situation.
“I was glad to see the bid responses come in below the higher estimates initially discussed, and I believe this affirms the amount of thought and work that has gone into every stage of the project, from the design to the financial planning.
“The building-related insurance proceeds represent a smaller percentage of the total project than what was originally estimated, which is due to how the renova
tion has evolved beyond just putting City Hall back together.
“All of these changes will positively impact those who visit and work in City Hall, and I would highlight that improvements to the City’s heating and cooling systems should result in a more efficient building that positively impacts the budget, and therefore City taxpayers. The Department of Public Works has done a stellar job managing this project, and I look forward to returning to a City Hall that all residents can take pride in, Madigan said.”
Commissioner of Accounts John Franck added his comments. “I’m thankful for the support of the City’s insurance carrier -Travelers Insurance and the City’s insurance agent Matt D’Abate who have worked closely with the Director of Risk and Safety to obtain the most dollars possible to help rebuild the original lightning loss which is now part of the City Hall project.”
The four qualified contractors and bid/contract amounts for the construction phase of the project are as follows:
General Construction: MLB Construction Services, LLC. $ 3,475,000
HVAC: Collette Mechanical, Inc. $ 1,850,000
Electrical: DLC Electric, LLC. $ 2,250,000
Plumbing: Colette Mechanical, Inc. $ 887,000
In addition, a 15 percent construction contingency or $1,269,300 was planned for the project due to the potential for unforeseen circumstances in renovating a circa 1871 building. The contingency also includes any changes to the Music Hall finishes as the result of the Design Review Commission (DRC) review, and ongoing change requests from the Office of Court Administration (OCA).
Any unused contingency funding will be re-purposed for repairs to all city buildings and facilities. $99,000 was allocated for a Construction Manager (CM) to coordinate with the project engineers, and contractors should the city require those services.
A mandate from the New York State Legislature and OCA to provide adequate court facilities for a second full-time City Court Judge required many internal building changes to find space for the courts.
The council determined that a building-wide renovation and restoration project was appropriate following the lightning strike on August 17, 2018, and to be in compliance with the court system mandate.
“The emergency following the lightning strike along with the mandates from the courts and legislature were circumstances outside of our control, but this Council has worked collaboratively to keep this project moving. The public and the taxpayers have been in everyone’s mind with this plan with the goal of providing an improved City Hall they can be proud of,” said Scirocco.
The contracts outline a two-phase completion approach to the project, with the ground and first floors being completed by December 31, 2019, and the second and third floors being completed by April 2020.
This phased approach provides an opportunity to move City Hall operations out of the recreation center by the end of 2019 so the facility can be utilized for community members and local youth for recreation, provided there are no delays.
The asbestos abatement phase was completed by Aktor Corporation and Alpine Environmental, removing a majority of hazardous material from the building, prior to construction.