Later this month, Keene Public Works Director Don Lussier will recommend an engineer to oversee the construction phase of the city’s upcoming downtown infrastructure project.
Though Lussier would not say Monday which firm he plans to endorse at the Oct. 23 meeting of the City Council’s Finance, Organization and Personnel Committee, he said three had been seriously considered: Stantec, which is the consulting firm that has overseen the project’s design phase; GPI; and John Turner Consulting.
The contract amount has yet to be determined.
Around the same time Lussier will make his recommendation, the city also plans to go to bid for a construction contractor.
These are among the latest steps as the city prepares for the two-year overhaul set to break ground next spring.
Since substantial design work began in 2022, the project has been the subject of tense and lengthy meetings, decisions and negotiations. The project’s main purpose is to replace old pipes, some of which were installed in the 1800s. There are also several planned above-ground elements, such as bike lanes and flashing crosswalks, which have drawn opposition from those who argue the city should maintain Central Square’s current look and aim to save costs by limiting the work to infrastructure.
The public works department, however, has said it’s impossible to dig up and replace the pipes without also re-doing the sidewalks and road. According to the department, if crews dug up and repaved only where they pull up pipes, the city would still spend millions of dollars but be left with a striped downtown.
Cost came under even more scrutiny when the city learned the project’s price tag would likely be much higher than previously expected.
Shortly before city councilors and staff learned of the higher estimate, the city put out a request for qualifications for engineering firms interested in overseeing the construction phase of the project. It is ultimately up to city councilors to decide whether or not to take Lussier’s recommendation.
When asked by The Sentinel if there are benefits to sticking with a firm that’s completed the design work, Lussier said there would be, and that for construction projects, he likes having the same design firm also oversee the construction phase.
Stantec’s intimate knowledge of the project design would eliminate any need for the engineer to catch up on the project, according to Lussier, who said he feels the firm has done good work to date.
Of the three firms, Stantec has the broadest geographic reach and has offices spanning the globe. GPI has offices in the Northeast, Midwest and South, and John Turner Consulting has them throughout New England, according to their websites.
At the end of this month, the bidding for a construction contractor will open up for about six weeks.
Lussier said the city will not push the start of the bid process past October, and that the public works department has reached out to some companies that staff know would be capable of taking on the project.
He said he expects the city to have hired a contractor by the end of the year.
Sophia Keshmiri can be reached at 603-283-0725 or skeshmiri@keenesentinel.com.
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