Greenwich Fire HQs Bids Come In at Budget

Town officials are reviewing the bids submitted for the construction of the Greenwich Fire Department headquarters and expect to award the project to a contractor later this month.

According to First Selectman Peter Tesei, the town received 14 bids ranging from $15.8 million to $22 million. Of those bidders, four were determined to be qualified for the $21million project. The first portion of the project — demolition of the 1930s era building at the corner of Havemeyer and Mason Street was completed last fall.

The bid information and a request to release the $17.5 million budgeted for the project will be submitted to the Board of Estimate and Taxation at its Jan. 21 meeting. 

Tesei said that after reviewing the bids, contractors have indicated that it may  not be possible to use the 70-plus year-old slabs of limestone that were part of the facade of the original headquarters. Part of the new project was to incorporate the limestone as an historic element to the building.

Selectman Drew Marzullo said he was concerned that contractors submitted low bids in an effort to get the work, only to "jack up the price" later.

Tesei said the contract will include perameters on costs and change orders to the project which would affect the project price. Tesei said that the Glenville School renovation project, the police headquarters and the parking garage "all fell within budget. Clearly there are contractual terms they (contractors) will have to adhere to," Tesei said. 

"I think (Superintendent of Building Construction & Maintenance Alan) Monelli has a good track record in the projects he has done," Tesei said. "This is pretty straightforward. The site is prepped and ready to go."

Officials have estimated that the project will take about two years to complete and should be operational in 2016. In the interim, firefighters and equipment assigned to central station have been relocated to a temporary site on Horseneck Lane and to the Cos Cob station.