Brookline unseals bids for town-hall project manager and authorizes initial $9,115 shoring work

The Brookline Select Board on June 22 unsealed three sealed bids for a town-hall project manager and authorized initial structural work to investigate and shore the municipal building.

Town staff said they received three bids for an owner‑project‑manager role and two other bids for related Melindy (Melanie) Pond work; because the proposals were sealed the board unsealed them and asked staff and select reviewers (Scott, Andrea, and others) to evaluate materials and return with a recommendation at the next meeting. Cited bid examples included Northpointe Construction Management (Hudson, NH) at $109,910 and an owner-project-manager style proposal from Rackham/Bratton Consulting citing a typical $140/hour rate.

One bidder, John Scofield, introduced himself and described an on-demand owner‑project‑manager approach: he said he typically charges $140 an hour and would produce biweekly updates to the board while liaising with engineering and architectural subcontractors.

Separately, the board reviewed Moore in Construction’s phased proposal to investigate town-hall trusses and shoring. The board authorized the first phase — described in the contract as "permanent shoring post exploration and demolition" — at a cost of $9,115. The chair said the work would allow the town to remove rented temporary trusses (which cost tens of thousands per year) if permanent shoring proves feasible. The motion to authorize the $9,115 warrant passed.

The chair told members that further phases — including opening floors and ceilings for a more in-depth structural assessment — could take many months and additional funding. Board members discussed the tradeoffs of approving only the initial exploration versus paying for a broader inspection now; staff said vendor timelines and equipment rental costs were a factor.

What’s next: staff will distribute the sealed-bid materials to designated reviewers and bring recommendation(s) and more complete cost analyses back to the select board at the next meeting. Contractors were authorized to begin the $9,115 phase.