Civic Center Conversion Gets Under Way-September 9, 1983

Work is officially scheduled to begin in about two weeks on the long-awaited municipal project to transform the former National Guard armory into a modern civic recreation center. Permanent building committee Chairman Ernest G. Paciorkowski handed over a purchase order for $1,338,200 to representatives of Mello Construction of Taunton during a committee meeting, clearing the path for construction once routine town permits are secured.

Construction Timeline and Temporary Registry Relocation

Contractor Carlos Mello stated that his firm expects to begin work on the project September 19, prioritizing exterior work—specifically the installation of critical water and sewer lines—before winter sets in and the ground freezes.

A potential snag was successfully eliminated when the committee awarded a $3,300 contract for the construction of a temporary Registry of Motor Vehicles office inside the Guild School to the low bidder, Capeway Construction of Hingham. The Registry, which maintains an office in the old armory, must move out during construction. Project architect Roger O. Hoit noted that once the contract was awarded, work on the temporary facility could begin as early as the weekend, allowing the Registry to vacate earlier than expected.

To ensure safety and minimize inconveniences at the armory site, Hoit outlined careful logistical precautions:

• Offices for the clerk of the works and other construction personnel will be housed in the armory’s auxiliary gymnasium, where little work is required, limiting the number of construction trailers parked outside.
• Interior demolition debris will be sent down chutes directly into waiting dump trucks and hauled away almost immediately.
• Committee members discussed closing an adjacent roadway and removing a large debris pile near the building to accommodate trucks and clear the way for new water lines.

Additionally, the committee consulted with C.A. Crowley Engineering Inc. of Middleboro regarding high school renovation plans, reviewing an estimated $860,000 cost for a new school boiler system while requesting an alternate estimate to renovate the existing system.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger