Page 13 - BusinessWest February 3, 2025

“The cost of a college education has been on the increase, and families’ income has not increased as fast as the rise in tuition.”
HARRY DUMAY
year schedule of moving through the building, renovating and right- sizing offices, said Benoit, who first became involved in the project while working as a designer for Dietz and Company, and is now on the construction side with D.A. Sullivan, which also handled phase
1. She noted that D.A. Sullivan has a strong track of work for area municipalities and in the areas of historic restoration and rehabilitation.
“We’ve been around for so long now, 1897, we’re now renovat- ing many of the projects we actually built,” she said, adding that the Chicopee projects involve buildings on the National Register of His- toric Places.
Pouliot noted that the contractors will hopscotch through the buildings, renovating a few offices at a time.
“We’re taking two to three office spaces offline at any given time, relocating staff to vacant office space, remodeling those offices, and moving staff back in,” he explained, adding that several departments will be moved to different floors or different areas that better suit their needs and those of the public.
These will be gut remodels, he went on, adding that it will take three to eight months to ready each space for its new occupant.
As for the library, Pouliot said there have been several requests for proposals issued for the city’s old library, and, over the years, a few intriguing uses have been proposed.
There was talk of a brewery that never really got off the ground, he said, adding that the concept that gained the most traction — but not enough to become reality — was to make the landmark home to the largest private collection of Franklin D. Roosevelt memorabilia, some 10,000 pieces, once housed in Worcester. There was even talk of the possible creation of a Roosevelt Study Institute and a col- laboration between the museum and Elms College.
The ‘community hub’ concept was ultimately deemed the alter- native that made the most sense, said Pouliot, adding that it trans- forms the library into a different kind of community resource, one that will hopefully bring
more people and vibran-
cy to the Market Square
Phase 2 of the ambitious City Hall project will follow recent work like this renovated auditorium.
Staff Photo
Chicopee
>>
Continued on page 15
Build Your
COMMUNITY WITH US
Architecture Planning Interior Design
Education Public Safety Libraries Senior Centers
521 East Street Chicopee, MA 01020 413.594.2800 www.cbaarchitects.net
Richmond Town Hall Richmond, MA Photography: CHODOS Inc.
60+ YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Caolo & Bieniek Architects has been providing architectural
services since 1955. Our design process integrates a creative approach to problem solving with a sustained commitment to client needs. After years of designing a broad array of building types throughout New England, we continue to build on our experience, listening to our clients and providing cost-effective design solutions that endure.
BusinessWest
<< COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
FEBRUARY 3, 2025 13