Marlborough updates on TOMVAC and South Pier

By Mark Reynolds
Posted 1/12/22

Recently, the TOMVAC building has been cleared out with the help of many town employees. Supervisor Scott Corcoran said on January 19 they will be sending out a separate Request for Proposal directly …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Marlborough updates on TOMVAC and South Pier

Posted

Recently, the TOMVAC building has been cleared out with the help of many town employees. Supervisor Scott Corcoran said on January 19 they will be sending out a separate Request for Proposal directly to qualified companies to remove any asbestos in the building. That work will commence on March 1. In addition, bids for the rest of the work on the building will go out on or about March 23.

Corcoran said initially it was thought that asbestos was used in the caulking of the joint compound but is was found to be only in the compound in the bathroom areas and also in the floors.

“This will save us a lot because we can demo some of the other stuff ourselves rather than having to put it in the bid package, but having said that, asbestos abatement and removal is an expensive endeavor but it will be less,” he said.

Corcoran said they are also considering a 30ft x 40ft expansion to the building, “because as we’re looking at the spaces, one side is going to be for the community center but the recreational side, which is just the garage side, doesn’t seem quite adequate enough to hold what we want to do in there.”

Corcoran said they will include some dormers in the roof and perhaps install a cupola along with cedar shake siding and cultured stone near the base to make the building stand out visually. He hopes that some of the work on the extension can be done in-house and anything they cannot do will be included in the March bid package.

Corcoran said plans for the extension will be drawn up by the town’s engineer and be looked at by the Highway Department to see what work they can handle.

“We are looking to make it a little bigger and this is for future use. We are looking 20 years down the line because if we ever have to come out of this building [town hall] we will then have a suitable sized building to house the police department, the courtroom and town hall,” he said. “There are good things to come for TOMVAC and I think we have a good committee working on this who have great ideas.”

South Pier
Corcoran said fender piles need to be built and installed at the south pier. He said there have been ongoing discussions with two cruise lines about them coming to Milton – American Cruise Line and Seastreak.

“They’re very interested in working with us and possibly financing all of the expansion, but we’re not sure,” he said. “We have to design this in a way that actually fits other ships that also might want to come and dock here.” Corcoran said Tighe & Bond is drawing up a design and calculating cost estimates.

Corcoran expects the town will not be working with the Arben Construction Group anymore.

“As you know we’ve had some issues with them; they still have not gotten the in-house or on site welding certifications to the Building Department. We cannot open the pier until that’s complete,” he said, adding that a third party will be looking at this in about a month.