Facility Needs Study vs Design Services

FACILITY NEEDS STUDY vs DESIGN SERVICES

In October 2018 Winchendon voters took the first step in the future of the fire station expansion project by passing an article to conduct a facility needs study.  This basic study takes 59 pages of gathered information about the current station, members, call volume, etc and professionally fits it to what would be necessary for the Winchendon Fire Department.  From this study a building concept is designed to best fit the needs for the town.  The information that was paid for in 2018 is still being used here in 2022 to maximize the financial benefits for the town.

Potentially in October of 2022 the Winchendon voters will be asked to take the second step in the project by passing an article for design services.  These design services will provide the project with actual architectural plans and documents to go out to bid on the project.  By proceeding in this order the plan is to have an exact number in hand when we come before the town at a future town meeting for the construction.  This phase will take roughly ten months so the earliest the town would see the third phase appear would be fall of 2023.

In the past some building projects have seen monies be passed at town meeting only to see bids come in quite a bit higher.  By reversing the order of the requests the fire department is working diligently with the Town Manager and Capital Planning to ensure the final construction cost brought to the voters is exactly that….final.