Construction of new Gilford public works building on schedule

GILFORD — Construction for the new town Department of Public Works facility is well underway. Town Administrator Scott Dunn said he's been pleased with the first three months of progress.

“Everything is on schedule and on budget,” Dunn said in an interview on Thursday morning.

Public Works Director Meghan Theriault gave an update to the selectboard Wednesday night, and said there is currently work being done on the footing walls of the building. She said there are about two more weeks for walls to be erected before moving to interior work.

In the second week of November, the steel building will be dropped off, and it will take between six and 12 weeks to install the frame.

“There will be six weeks of overhead work happening until a crew can then move inside and start,” she told the selectboard, adding that the slab concrete will not be poured until the steel arrives. “Because of the cold weather, they want to get the structure in, the roof on, or at least partial, to be able to start to kind of enclose and heat the space, to then do the work.”

Dunn added that the slab is scheduled to be poured in February.

Theriault said minor utilities are also being installed, and the building of a retaining wall is right around the corner. The new PFAS monitoring wall, required by the state Department of Environmental Services, was installed on Monday. Block heaters were also installed for trucks in the winter.

Department staff are also researching a temporary generator, as the original Town Hall generator was finally retired due to its age.

Department staff received plans for the pole barn on Wednesday, but have not yet received a pricing estimate.

Last Town Meeting, the town voted to raise and appropriate $11.2 million for the final design and construction of the new public works facility, which included demolition and temporary relocation of operations. This included a pole barn, equipment, furnishings, and other site improvements.

The former building was about 50 years old, and only 13,000 square feet, which is a far cry from the 22,000 square feet the new building will provide. Certain aspects of the old building were unsafe, including air quality, inadequate storage space for chemicals, and slippery floors in the service area. The roof had also caved in from snow on three occasions, and the heating and cooling system was not working properly.

According to Dunn, the old public works building was demolished on July 22, and once the site was cleared, excavation began for footings and foundations.

Town staff have been updating the progress on the town website, and according to a Sept. 9 report, momentum is continuing to move the project along. Tree removal has been completed, and Lyman Construction has been working on cuts and fills, installing utilities, hammering ledge, and grading and paving the parking lot.

The town’s design team has been submitting reviews for various components of the project, which includes a sewer pump station, fire protection cistern, and pump set-up. The ledge beneath the foundation was also being evaluated, and the use of processed glass aggregate was explored.

There were also several contracts awarded, including Chadwick Mechanical for mechanical work, Daniels Electric for electrical work, Lakes Region Fire Protection for sprinklers, MASCON for masonry, Premier Concrete for concrete work, and Civil Connection for geotechnical services.

Dunn said the public works building is slated for completion in June or July of 2026. To follow the progress of the public works facility, log onto gilfordnh.gov/entity/-36.