Suffield Town Hall Renovations Completed

Information via Town of Suffield

SUFFIELD, CT – The Town of Suffield unveils its newly renovated Town Hall at 83 Mountain Road on May 17, 2021 at an 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project was completed as scheduled and approximately $200,000 below the $5.1M budget. Suffield First Selectwoman Melissa M. Mack said, “This is the first construction job that I’ve been involved with from start to finish and I am so proud to have been part of this team. While the Town certainly benefited from COVID-19 marketplace conditions, I credit this success to lessons learned from past town projects and our team’s desire to approach this undertaking in a whole new and improved way. This model is one we should continue to use into the future.” The event also reopens Town Hall to the public following a more than one-year closure due to the pandemic.

The renovation’s one-story addition enables the town to house 100% of its employees in Town-owned buildings versus its previous leasing arrangements. Mack said, “This was a priority of mine and results in annual savings of nearly $125,000 in rent, carrying/maintenance costs, and regained real/personal property tax.” Among the improvements to the original 1962 structure: a new, larger meeting room with numerous technological advancements; space for the land use and building departments; expanded Town Clerk’s vault for mandated archiving needs; new and efficient HVAC system; resolution of environmental and moisture issues; refreshed and building code compliant spaces throughout.

Mack extends the Town’s gratitude to the Public Works and Building Departments, Permanent Building Commission, Gilbane Building Company and QA+M architects.

Changes in the process from previous Town projects included:

• Use of Construction Manager at Risk
• Comprehensive pre-construction due diligence
• Greater contract scrutiny to adequately protect the Town’s interests
• Daily oversight of construction process
• Closely monitored budget and contingency usage
• Newly launched Capital Projects website page to inform residents, address questions, track progress and provide accountability