PITTSFIELD, Mass. — J.H. Maxymillian has been awarded the final streetscape contract.

 

The company's bid of $4,261,384.75 for the final phase was awarded by the city's purchasing department after bids were opened at the end of July. Maxymillian was previously awarded the contracts for the prior two phases of the North Street reconstruction.

 

"We did award the contract to Maxymillian and they will start construction in the first week of September," said Laurie Mick, community development specialist, on Tuesday.

 

Tony Simonelli, of Maxymillion, said the company is preparing to start work on Monday, Aug. 31, and work until "sometime around Thanksgiving" of this year. They'll return in the spring and worth through the summer.

 

"We don't want to start tearing up sidewalks at this time of the year," Simonelli said, saying most of the work this fall will be site preparation. He said some trenching will be done as long as the company can buy asphalt to cover the holes until the spring.

 

The majority of the work will begin in April 2016 and Simonelli said the company will be working with the city and businesses to limit the amount of inconveniences.

 

"There is always an impact to the businesses. But, we try to keep that to a minimum," he said, adding that there will always be access provided to the businesses.

 

"We're familiar with the concerns."

 

Maxymillian was the lowest bidder of four. Northern Construction, A Pereira Construction, and Baltazar Contractors bid on the contract as well, all bidding around $4.4 million. The state awarded the city $4.5 million for the project and the city has capital money available to contribute as well.

 

The start of construction is nearly two months behind but Mick says she doesn't anticipate any delays in completion, which is scheduled for fall 2016. The project was initially bid out in preparations for a July start but the three companies who bid then were over the $5 million budget the city has allocated for the work. 

 

In that bidding, Maxymillian was the highest bidder at $5.3 million while Northern Construction and Baltazar Contractors were closer to the $5 million with $5.2 and $5.1 million bid respectfully.

 

The design of the project then went back to engineers Fuss & O'Neill, who scaled back portions of the project. The project was then re-bid with Maxymillian being awarded.

 

"It's not anything that will delay the project," Mick said of the bidding process. "I don't foresee any issues with it."

 

Simonelli also said he anticipates being completed by November 2016.

 

Engineer Jon Dietrich of Fuss and O'Neill said the plans for the fourth and final section are similar to the rest of the street scape project in an interview in July, after the project was scaled back somewhat to fall into budget.  

 

The fourth and final phase will now finish off between Madison Avenue and Columbus Avenue. The project was first identified in a 2005 master plan for the city's downtown and the first construction started shortly after in conjunction with the redevelopment of the Colonial Theater.

 

It included Park Square to Housatonic Street, and then north by the Beacon Cinema. The third section was done last year from Berkshire Medical Center to Madison Avenue.

 

This is the third streetscape contract Maxymillian was awarded from the city. The company received the contract for the last two phases as well as having a long history with the city.

 

"We've done North Street at least four times," Simonelli.

 

The company is also just now finishing up the streetscape project in Great Barrington. 

 

"We're thrilled that they'll be able to continue," Mick said.

 

Updated with comments from Maxymillian at 4:34 p.m. on Aug. 18.