Partial demo bids for Erving paper mill approved

A joint meeting of the Erving Selectboard, Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee unanimously approved a bid proposal from Tighe and Bond for the partial demolition of the former International Paper Mill at a meeting held on Aug. 12.

A joint meeting of the Erving Selectboard, Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee unanimously approved a bid proposal from Tighe and Bond for the partial demolition of the former International Paper Mill at a meeting held on Aug. 12. STAFF PHOTO/Erin-Leigh Hoffman

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

Staff Reporter

Published: 08-13-2024 5:02 PM

ERVING – A bid proposal by Tighe and Bond for the former International Paper Mill’s partial demolition was accepted unanimously during a joint Selectboard, Capital Planning Committee and Finance Committee meeting on Monday night.

The base bid proposal of approximately $379,000-$400,000 for the demolition, abatement and structural repairs for building sections 5C, 7A and 7B – with the inclusion of an alternate bid to demolish a smoke stack – and two alternate bids were unanimously approved by both committees and the Selectboard.

The MassDevelopment Site Readiness Grant of $600,000 awarded during the 2023 fiscal year will be used towards the project.

“This is the best plan I’ve seen in about 10 years,” Finance Committee Chair Daniel Hammock remarked about the proposal. “It’s the best plan for us to use and not lose the $600,000 grant.”

Selectboard Chairman Jacob Smith agreed.

“It’s the best thing I’ve seen for years for maximizing and using that money, instead of turning back at this point,” he said.

Reached after the meeting, Town Administrator Bryan Smith expressed hope that the decision is a step forward towards maximizing the grant funds, while also allowing for strategic planning of demolition if potential developers show interest in the property.

“I think it’s progress, and it’s an attempt to maximize the use of a resource that has been presented to us,” he said. “We’re hoping that we’ve been strategic and we are not inadvertently shutting down an opportunity to potentially have somebody interested in the site.”

The new proposal

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At aprior meeting, the Selectboard had asked Tighe and Bond to create a more cost-efficient bid proposal that could accommodate a partial demolition.

In May, a $3.7 million proposition to supplement the $600,000 grant for a complete site demolition was shot down by Erving voters, leaving the town with only the grant money to demolish the mill complex. A goal of partial demolition has been investigated by the town to make the best use of the grant funding.

“[The proposal] communicated the guidance from the last meeting where you wanted to have an option presented to you that would minimize any infill or reconstruction, maximize as much demolition progress as possible and avoid roof repairs that had been contemplated,” Bryan Smith stated about this new proposal.

Two alternate bids were also presented by Tighe and Bond. The idea for these bids came from the concern that including further demolition costs to the base bid may be unfavorable to a construction firm, risking the loss of a base bid. Alternate bids could still be made available at a later time if desired.

“The idea of doing a bid alternate is just because we are trying to be realistic about the numbers and put in those contingencies,” Bryan Smith stated. “Sometimes a bid alternate gives you an opportunity to prioritize the work that the base bid is absolutely going to get done.”

The alternate bids include the first proposal to demolish the 40-foot smoke stack above the boiler room building for $75,000. The second alternate proposes to demolish the boiler room for $95,000, with an extra $46,000 for any abatement, infill or roof repair. The total cost for both alternates is $280,000, including conditions and fees.

The decision was made to include the smoke stack demolition within the base bid, and the two alternates were decided to be the demolition of the 5D boiler room as the first alternate, and the second alternate being the slab removal within the building structures 7A and 7B. The shifting in proposed alternates during the meeting means an estimated cost will need to be amended. These two alternate bids can be done in addition to the base bid.

“This gets after what I was looking for,” Jacob Smith stated about the revised proposal.

Following the approval of the Tighe and Bond proposal, Bryan Smith explained that this will be brought forward to MassDevelopment, so funding can be released for the project. Following this, a formal bid package will be prepared.

The former International Paper Mill at 8 Papermill Road has been vacant since the town acquired it in 2014 for back taxes. The mill opened in 1902, and was closed in 2000 after eight buildings were developed as part of the property since its opening.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.