Police project ready for bids

General contractors and subcontractors who want to bid on the town's police station building renovation project can pick up bidding documents July 31.

The town will publicly open bids and announce results Aug. 21 for filed sub-bids and Sept. 6 for general bids, according to Jon Juhl, chairman of the Police Station Building Committee.

Demolition of the existing building at 532 Washington St. (Rte. 16) and construction are being done under one contract, Juhl said. Asbestos and lead decontamination will be done under a separate bid for cleanup of the environmental hazards in the existing station. Bids for this contract are due Aug. 2.

Holliston will also hold a pre-bid meeting Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. in the selectmen's room at Town Hall.

If the bids come within budget and the contractors meet all of the public bid requirements, the town could finalize a construction contract the week of Sept. 10, Juhl said. He anticipates demolition of the Washington Street station will begin mid- to late September.

Town Meeting appropriated $6.63 million for the project last November, Juhl said.

The committee estimates it will take 14 months to complete the work and hopes to have the Police Department in the new station by the end of 2008, Juhl said.

The Police Station Building Committee has been working fastidiously with town boards, officials, the Police Department, and project architect Kevin Witzell of Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc., to get to "this important milestone," Juhl said.

"All of the town's boards as well as the Board of Selectmen have been tremendously supportive of this effort and in working with the development team to secure the required approvals," Juhl said.

Juhl also thanked the School Department, Park Commission, and Youth and Family Services for working with the Police Station Building Committee to enable a smooth transfer of the Police Department to the Flagg-Cole School on Linden Street.

"The committee has done a great deal of work to get to this important point in the project and I commend everyone on the committee, as well as Police Chief Thomas Lambert, for their dedication and commitment to this goal," said Juhl.

Information for bidders, the proposal form, contract documents and specifications can be viewed at F.W. Dodge Corp., ABC Plan Room and Town Hall after Tuesday, July 31 at 3 p.m. Complete sets of bidding documents and bid forms can be picked up at Bacson Blueprint, 51 Loring Drive, Framingham. Interested contractors can review the complete invitation to bid information in the central register, Juhl said.

Sealed sub-bids are due at the selectmen's room in Town Hall by 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 21, and sealed general bids are due in the same location by 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6.

(Joyce Kelly can be reached at 508-626-4423 or jkelly@cnc.com.)