Special Meeting Called for Wahconah Park Designer RecommendationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Tuesday, April 04, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A special Parks Commission meeting will be held Wednesday to vote on recommended designer services for the redo of Wahconah Park.
The commissioners will meet virtually at 6 p.m. to decide whether to recommend to contract with S3 Design Inc. of Braintree for the restoration or rebuild of Pittsfield's historic baseball park. The city's purchasing agent will ask for a scope and price proposal if the vote is positive.
Last week, the park's restoration committee recommended the firm after a selection subcommittee heard from two others. Four proposals were received in response to an request for proposals and three including S3 were accepted for interviews: Bargmann Hendrie and Archetype Inc. and Clough, Harbour & Associates.
S3 proposed a workshop-based process to assist the owner's project manager Skanska USA, the committee, and the city with the project. It includes a feasibility study with four phases of workshops, a schematic design, bidding and the award, and the construction administration.
In a cover letter, the firm wrote that it specializes in planning and design for athletics and recreation projects, a skill that is rooted in a passion for sports and the ability to create designs that foster community bonds.
The consultant team includes its architectural team, EDM, engineering team, SLR Consulting for specific site issues, and Sports Facilities Companies for financial forecasting and advisory planning.
Committee members have identified several needs for the project, such as addressing the parking lot's flooding issues and bringing in the opportunity for additional revenue streams at the park.
Efforts to revive Wahconah Park officially began over the summer with the establishment of the advisory committee in June. In April it was announced that grandstand seating would not be available this year because the steel structure was compromised.
After a structural evaluation in late 2021 of the facility that revealed concerns, the city hired a structural engineer and architect to look at it more comprehensively. Their recommendation was for the grandstand to be closed for this season.
Early this year, the panel had its first public meeting with the owner's project manager Skanska USA, who was hired out of three responses to a request for services issued in the fall.
The team envisioned that the design would be complete by February or March of next year, and bidding and work could begin by August of 2024 after the Pittsfield Sun's season. This would mean a ballpark would be ready for use by the summer of 2025.
The city is working with an earmarked $3 million from the state that was secured by Congressman Richard Neal and $2 million that was appropriated through the last capital budget cycle by the city council.
S3 estimated that the project will cost $10 million to $15 million.
It is still unclear if the park will be raised or rebuilt. Planners say that will depend on the results of a feasibility study.
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