Public safety complex had a complicated journey
Long-awaited start of construction for new police and fire headquarters is town’s top story of 2017
CUMBERLAND – The town’s new Public Safety Complex is starting to take shape at 1379 Diamond Hill Road across the street from the Police Department’s current station, at least in terms of its foundation work. The Calson Corp. of Johnston had installed much of the footing and foundation work on the $11.3 million project by the weekend before Christmas and that had Mayor William Murray feeling pretty good about 2017 overall. The work started on the Public Safety Complex was part of several major town projects and improvements Murray’s administration has promoted this year with support from the Town Council and local residents.
In addition to the start of construction on the complex, officials also secured a commitment for the town to acquire 229 acres of land held by the Sisters of Mercy Northeast Community off West Wrentham Road, finished up work on the Tupper Athletic Complex off Mendon Road, and also won approval of the town’s acquisition of new street lighting town wide for approximately $300,000 in savings.
The town is also moving ahead on the $1.4 million purchase of the 8-acre Pascale Property off Old Mendon Road that will allow for relocation of the highway department barn on Kent Street to a new facility on part of that parcel.
The long-awaited Public Safety Complex its scheduled to be completed
next December and Murray said that work done to date has the project on schedule and within budget.
The design for the 22,000-squarefoot public safety facility at the 2.5acre site includes space for the Police Department, the town’s Rescue Service, and also administrative offices for the fire departments, Murray noted.
“We didn’t change one thing from the plan and we are right on budget,” Murray said while crediting the Public Safety Complex building committee headed by Mark Lindgren and including David Wayne Wagner, George Stansfield, Chief John Desmarais, Robert Anderson and Brian McCourt with keeping tight rein on the project.
Calson Corp. has already addressed some initial site challenges and avoided any major start up delays, Murray noted. The next phase will be starting building work on the foundations and hopefully the winter weather will cooperate and not present any major delays in the construction schedule.
“I called George Stansfield today and asked him, “are we on target and he said ‘absolutely,’” Murray said. “So I applaud the building committee, they are very conscientious and committed to staying on schedule,” he said. The town has also hired a construction manager for the project and that will also help maintain momentum toward completion, according to Murray.
Murray said he has received nothing but positive comments from local residents over the plan to preserve open space at the Sisters of Mercy property while reserving a 17acre section for town playing fields.
“The was probably one of the biggest decisions going forward for Cumberland and people are thrilled,” Murray said. The town is currently in the process of securing grants included in the acquisition plan and so far that process appears to be moving forward as well, he noted.
The Highway Department building will be the next task ahead of the town and Murray said he is already at work on that as well.
“We are developing a plan for the Pascale property and also for the future the Kent Street property (the current barn site),” Murray said.
Murray credited his administration for helping him to keeping all of the town’s major projects on target noting for example the work Town Planner Jonathan Stevens has done in bringing in 56 businesses to new or existing business properties and the upcoming work his administration is doing to seek “arrested development” zone changes for town properties restricted from potential development opportunities.
“I’m very proud of what we have done in the past year, I really am,” Murray said. “But it is not about Bill Murray, it is about the great administration I have and we are working together as a community to get things accomplished,” he said.