Special Town Meeting for Civic Replacement Pushed to January ’81-September 11, 1980

Architectural Firms Present Estimates

Municipal officials now project that a special town meeting to allocate construction funds for replacing the Civic Recreation Center will not take place until January, pushing back earlier autumn target dates.

Timeline Delays and Cost Projections

The extended schedule means that while renovations to the Guild School could be sufficiently advanced for the recreation department to relocate there by next August, the accompanying new swimming pool will not be completed until January 1983. That timeline was established before the permanent building construction committee by two architectural firms interviewed during public presentations last night.

Furthermore, preliminary architectural estimates indicate that the total cost of the new facilities will hover very close to, or potentially exceed, the $2.3 million earmarked for the project by town meeting.

A special town meeting held in July directed the committee to solicit comprehensive architectural proposals—including an Olympic-size swimming pool—to replace the existing Civic Center, which is scheduled to be taken over by Norwood Hospital in August to accommodate a major hospital expansion project. The construction committee planned to interview two additional architectural firms before deciding whether to accept a current proposal or solicit further bids.

Architectural Proposals Reviewed

During last night’s interviews, two prominent regional firms presented distinct design concepts and financial figures, though neither estimate included the separate development of ballfields at Eliot Park in South Norwood, an ancillary component expected to run as high as $500,000:

• Rich, Lang & Cote Inc. of Newton: Presented a $1.8 million project proposal, which included $151,000 in planning and architectural fees. Representative Anthony D’Onofrio proposed positioning the new swimming pool on the southwest corner of the Guild School property, extending outward toward Washington Street. Their design incorporated innovative solar heating panels along the roof of the pool addition to heat the water, an elevator, enlarged locker rooms, renovation of the existing gymnasium-auditorium, four clay tennis courts at the rear of the site, and four additional courts at the Prescott School. Their estimate pegged the pool addition alone at $945,000.
• Korslund, LeNormand & Quann of Norwood: Proferred a $1.6 million project featuring $100,000 in architects’ fees, with the pool portion budgeted at $915,000. Leonard Quann explained that their design placed the pool on the southwest corner near Winslow Avenue, set almost level with the front of the school with its long axis parallel to Washington Street. “We are aware the hospital will be building a big building across the street and we are trying to maintain what green space you have,” Quann noted. Their plans similarly included gymnasium renovations, an elevator, locker upgrades, and tennis courts at the Guild and Prescott schools.

Committee Chairman Roger Pellitier noted that while six firms initially expressed interest, two subsequently withdrew, leaving the committee considering whether to interview representatives from Campbell & Searson and Brian Novak Inc. or seek additional proposals.

Pellitier emphasized that whichever firm is ultimately selected will require eight weeks to draft detailed architectural plans, followed by an estimated six-week bidding and review procedure. Consequently, the committee will not be prepared to approach a town meeting for construction appropriations until January 1981, missing the earlier anticipated October window.

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