New 911 dispatch center on Meredith Center Road expected to open by end of 2026

LACONIA — Construction of the new 911 operations center on Meredith Center Road is underway, and state Director of Emergency Services and Communications Mark Doyle said the $18.6 million project is on schedule, as crews prepared for interior work during the winter months.

“Everything is on course — not surprising — because we did our due diligence for engineers, architects and everyone involved,” Doyle said. “Things are moving along nicely, and they are holding themselves to the timeline established.”

Doyle expects construction to be completed by late summer or early fall of 2026, and for operations to be up and running in the new facility by the end of next year.

Weekly meetings are held with state leaders, Harriman Associates, the architecture firm, and Harvey Construction, general contractor.

There are two parts of the project, including the 21,000-square-foot facility that will house both Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid and Public Safety Answering Point services, as well as a database operation team for mapping and addressing. A second building adjacent to the main structure will be for non-critical aspects, such as general storage.

For a project of this magnitude, Doyle is pleased with progress so far, and said there was plenty of pre-planning that went into the project, which broke ground in April. Now, when traveling up Meredith Center Road, two structures can be seen on the land across from Robbie Mills Sports Complex.

The walls are up, the interior is beginning to be framed, and the roof is on but needs to be sealed for inevitably nasty weather ahead. The goal is to have everything “buttoned up” enough to work inside.

“We are doing all the groundwork to make sure that it is ready for winter,” Doyle said. “We need to make sure the facility is contained to get heat in the main building to start on interior work.”

That includes installation of heating, cooling and ventilation; electricity; flooring, completion of the walls; and “everything that goes with putting a building together from the inside out.”

With a radio tower, permits are needed from the Federal Aviation Administration, and other legalities must be adhered to. There is no specific timeline, but Doyle said it should be delivered and erected before the winter.

“Nothing to hold anything up, but we need to make sure we check off all the boxes,” Doyle said.

From front to back, the project — totaling $18.587 million — is funded through money from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as a grant from the Department of Homeland Security for $1 million.

Gilford Fire Chief Stephen Carrier recently told the town’s selectboard about the grant money for the project, saying he was pleased no costs would come back to any of the communities in the LRMFA.

Doyle said these funds provide a vital facility at no expense to taxpayers.

The process started during the Sununu administration about five years ago, or even longer when research is taken into account. Doyle said the state Department of Administration and the state Division of Public Works Design and Construction lent their expertise and insight with rough figures to start. There was plenty of homework involved to make the design as efficient as possible, including discussions about creating a new facility, instead of renovating an old one.

“The property we are currently in is sitting on an area destined to be sold or developed, and the bottom line is we needed to find a new home,” Doyle said.

Doyle said knowing 911 services were an absolute need, and that LRMFA is an important tenant, there were a lot of moving parts related to ramifications of the move.

“We found this property that was not far away,” Doyle said. “We wanted to build a facility that was going to be practical in design, and also be able to be a robust and secure area for the type of work conducted inside.”

The 911 communications center, which is currently housed at the former State School property, is one of two in the state. Doyle said the Lakes Region facility is every bit as busy as the one in Concord.

“This is designed for that specific purpose, rather than pigeon-holing,” Doyle said. “It is built for the purpose of running a 911 public safety and emergency communication center.”

Doyle is confident in the contractors and personnel involved in putting together something that will serve the state for many decades to come.

“We want to make sure this is a facility to be proud of, and that includes the community knowing that they are doing everything they can onsite to save lives every day.”