Press Room
News Stories
Boat center project begins
By KEN ROSS
The Republican (Massachusetts)
November 19, 2008
HOLYOKE - Construction of the $1.26 million public boating access center recently began and will be completed by April.
"This is very exciting for the city of Holyoke," Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said Tuesday. "I hope everyone involved can appreciate how much work went into this."
Sullivan and other officials gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new Jones Ferry River Access Center Boathouse located off Main Street on the banks of the Connecticut River.
"It's extremely exciting," Teresa M. Shepard, director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Tuesday. "It's certainly a first for the city."
The 6,000-square-foot facility will be built near an existing boat ramp, which provides public access to the river. The facility will be built by Western Builders Inc., of Granby, according to William D. Fuqua, director of the city's Department of Public Works. The company submitted the lowest of 11 bids for the project. Bids ranged from $1.26 million to $1,467,600 for the project. The project was originally expected to cost $1.3 million. But due to the tough economic conditions facing the local construction market, bidding for the project was more competitive than anticipated. "These conditions favored the city by bringing the base construction price for the project in under the city's budget of $1.3 million," according to a statement issued by the city.
The facility will feature a 5,000-square-foot unheated boat storage space, along with a 1,000-square-foot finished space, which will include an office, shower facilities and a meeting room.
"It's going to be constructed for year-round use if necessary," Fuqua said.
The building will also incorporate green technologies, Fuqua said, including a solar hot water heating system, solar panels on the roof, recycled building materials and vegetated roofing system for treatment of storm water.
In October 2007, the city received a $500,000 state grant for the project. This year, it received a $400,000 federal community development block grant, Fuqua said. The city will borrow the remaining $360,000.
|
|
